Skinny Love
by LC The Brave
Summary: It was when he realized just how much that dicey, ill at ease boy meant to him that everything turned topsy-turvy; it was a mess, a pain, and a lovely thing all at the same time.   High School AU. Percy/Nico.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! This is my very first fanfic I've ever made – EVER. I'm serious. Major noob alert.**

**This'll be a chaptered fic. This is the first chapter, obviously. I wanna see if anyone likes it before I post any more. Or…maybe I'll post it anyway even if there aren't any reviews. Whatever.**

**Btw, I hope you guys get why that's the title.**

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><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairings: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO), slight Percabeth

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a bit OOC. Also, sorry for silly mistakes that appear here and there.

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><p><strong>Skinny Love<strong>

**Chapter 1**

Seventeen-year-old Perseus Jackson, better known as Percy, was well loved in his school. Everyone knew him. Everyone looked up to him. Everyone adored him. It's a fact. After all, who in the right mind would dislike the nicest guy on campus, right?

Percy was also obnoxiously handsome and disgustingly charming. He was quite tall. He also had a nice build. He wasn't skinny, and he wasn't overly muscular. His nicely cut dark brown hair was just another plus.

Truth be told, you would think that he was a son of a god or something. He was _that_ perfect.

However, Percy didn't see himself that way. This just added to his appeal. He was humble. He could make the proudest of people feel ashamed of their egotistical nature.

Percy had a girlfriend. Her name was Annabeth Chase. She was not exactly the most sought after girl in the school, but she was the apple of Percy's sea green eyes. Annabeth's beauty wasn't conventional. Her hair was platinum blonde, her cheekbones were defined, her lips were full, and her eyes were gray like a storm. However, her beauty wasn't what she was most proud of. Annabeth wasn't a fan of superficiality really. Her brain was what gives her confidence. Annabeth was all about intellectual pursuits. Other than that, Annabeth was actually really thoughtful and sweet. Her wonderful mix of qualities was what Percy loves the most about her.

Annabeth's best friend was similar to her, but at the same time, he was very different. His name is Nico di Angelo.

What makes them similar was the fact that they both aren't fond of glitziness and superficialiity. Nico's pretty tall, but not as tall as Percy. Also, Nico's jet-black hair, skinny physique, soft cheekbones, pale skin, and hazelnut brown eyes gave him an almost haunting allure. He wasn't the most handsome guy in school, just like how Annabeth wasn't the prettiest, but their looks both gave them a strange yet attractive appeal.

What makes Annabeth and Nico different isn't just the fact that Nico was an Italian male and Annabeth was not. They have very different attitudes. Annabeth, despite being very intellectually driven, always remembers to have a heart. She was direct about her feelings, and she was affectionate at the right times and places, especially with Percy. Nico, on the other hand, was awkward and rigid. He also tended to be sarcastic a lot.

Percy was very intrigued by Nico di Angelo.

Nico hated Percy, apparently. He was one of the very few people who do. Actually, he might even be the _only_ one who did. Percy's theory was that Nico has feelings for Annabeth. He thought it would be completely natural for Nico to have developed feelings for his best friend of eight years. Percy wouldn't shame him for that. He wouldn't shame anyone for anything. It wasn't his style.

Percy's suspicions of Nico's latent feelings for Annabeth kept getting stronger actually.

Every time Percy and Annabeth would share kisses around Nico, the other boy would always scowl. "Get a room!" he would say. Sometimes, he would even pull Annabeth away from Percy.

Whenever they were walking in the hallways, and Percy and Annabeth were holding hands, Nico always gave Percy this look – this angry yet somehow adorable look. Percy was embarrassed that he thought it was adorable.

Also, whenever Percy sat with Annabeth and Nico during lunchtime, Nico would always attempt to sit between the couple. When Percy is the one to start conversations, Nico would never really join. He would only give little comments, which were mostly snide.

This had been going on for the three whole months that Percy and Annabeth dated. It never frustrated Percy. It just intrigued him.

Percy wanted to win Nico over. He wanted the other boy to trust him. He wanted Nico to be able to open up to him. He wanted to tell Nico that it was okay if he had feelings for Annabeth, and that he respected that. He wanted it bad actually. Percy didn't know why. He just did.

His desire to make Nico like him was about to increase dramatically, actually.

Today Percy, Nico and Annabeth planned to hang out. Annabeth wanted to go to the Manhattan Mall. Percy and Nico agreed to this. Percy knew of course that Nico didn't really want to spend time with him. However, Annabeth wanted the two to spend more time together. Percy wanted that too.

Percy currently sat eating a cheeseburger in a McDonalds. He was waiting for Nico and Annabeth. He wore an orange t-shirt and dark blue jeans. He also had a blue North Face jacket on due to the cold New York weather.

His phone rang. It was a text from Annabeth. '_Is Nico there yet?' _it said. Percy typed. _'Not yet, babe. Where are you?'_ He took a bite of his cheeseburger.

After about two minutes, he received a reply. '_Just tell me when Nico's there already.'_

This was weird. Why was Annabeth being cryptic?

Seemingly out of nowhere, Nico suddenly appeared, standing in front of Percy. He was wearing a red sweater and black skinny jeans. _Cute_, Percy thought. He immediately tried to get that notion out of his head.

Nico looked at Percy coldly. "Where's Annabeth?" he said. His poker face bothered Percy a little.

"Hi Nico," Percy said.

"Yeah, hi. Where's Annabeth?" Nico continued to talk icily.

"Oh, yeah. She sent me a text. Said to just tell her when you're here. Didn't say where she was." Percy smiled thoughtfully. Nico raised an eyebrow.

"So what are you waiting for? Call her." Nico said, taking a chair and sitting across from Percy on the small table he occupied.

"Oh…yeah…right." Percy said, getting his phone in a slight panic.

Annabeth answered immediately. "Hello," she said. She sounded giddy for some reason. "Hi babe," Percy said. His eyes darted to Nico for a a split second. He looked annoyed. "Nico's here."

"Great! Now you two go and have fun." _What?_ What did she mean? Percy was confused.

"Wait. What?" Percy said.

"Let me talk to Nico," she said. Percy was still confused, but he was feeling excited as well.

Percy handed the phone to Nico. "Annabeth wants to talk to you," Percy said. Nico's expression switched from annoyed to puzzled. "What for?" he said. Percy shrugged.

Nico took the phone. Percy just stared at Nico as Annabeth spoke. After receiving the message, Nico started to look angry.

"What the fuck, Annabeth?" Nico said. "No, no. I do _not _want to do this. I can't stand this guy!" He paused for a moment, his eyes meeting Percy's. "Percy! Talk to your fucking girlfriend!" Nico handed Percy the phone. The fidgety boy was red all over.

"What's going on, Annabeth?" Percy sai,d on the phone.

"Like I said earlier Percy, you two go and have fun," she said.

"I still don't get it Annabeth." Percy said.

Percy heard Annabeth sigh. "You two. Alone. Today. Have fun."

"I get that babe. What I mean is _why_ do you want us to do that? And what makes you think we will?" Despite everything, Percy still sounded calm. Nico, on the other hand, was flustered and angry.

"I want you two to get along Percy, and I think this is the best way to make that happen. A day out will be great for the two of you. I swear, Percy. It'll be fun. Do it for me. It's important to me that you two get along."

Ah, why does Annabeth always have to be so wise? This _was _a good opportunity for him to get on Nico's good side – a _really _good opportunity. Not that he thought it was really possible, but he could at least try. For Annabeth. _Yeah, for Annabeth._

Annabeth hung up. Percy let out a deep sigh. He met Nico's faze. "Wanna go to the arcade…or something?" he said, attempting to lessen the awkwardness. Nico, unfortunately, glared at him.

"You seriously want to go through with this?" Nico said. There was silence for a while between them. All they heard were the hustle and bustle of their surroundings.

Percy flashed a small smile. "I…Well…What could happen? I mean, I think it could potentially be really fun, you know."

Nico's mouth fell half open. It looked like he wanted to say something, but he couldn't.

"I don't have anything else planned you know. This is pretty much all I have on my schedule." Percy smiled. Nico started to look a little calmer. "But if you really don't want to, I can just –"

Nico cut Percy off. "Fine," he said. Nico wouldn't look at Percy. "Let's…I'll get something to eat first." With that, Nico stood up in a very stiff and awkward manner, and then walked to line up by the counter.

Percy couldn't help laughing. He was heavily amused and heavily surprised by Nico's reaction to all this. _Wow,_ he thought. _He agreed._ This was his chance to show Nico that he, Percy Jackson, is a swell guy. It's time to prove to him that Percy Jackson is a boy worthy of trust, and of Annabeth.

Percy watched the other boy as he ordered. It looked like he was having trouble. It looked like he was panicking even. The cashier looked like she was asking him some things and Nico just nodded awkwardly. _Adorable_, Percy thought. Percy now accepted the fact that he thinks his girlfriend's best friend was very, very endearing. He just can't deny it anymore.

Yes, Percy was intrigued by Nico di Angelo. Very much so.

Something vibrated. It was Percy's phone. Percy flipped it open. There was a text from Annabeth. _Have fun, _it said. Percy smiled. He sent a reply. _Will do._

Nico got back with a box of nuggets and French fries. Percy smiled at him. "Hey," he said. Nico just gave him a mean look.

Nico quietly ate his nuggets. Percy watched him while he did. This went on for about three minutes.

After that three minutes, Nico did something that took Percy by surprise.

"You want one?" Nico said, pushing the box of nuggets in Percy's direction. He said this with a poker face, though something told Percy that Nico wasn't truly calm.

Percy grinned. "Sure, thanks Nicky." Percy had a habit of making nicknames for people on the spot.

"Don't call me that," Nico said, in a whiny tone.

The taller teen couldn't help but laugh. Nico grimaced. Percy took a nugget. He started eating. His smile still hasn't faltered. Nico took back his box of nuggets, and got another piece for himself. After which, he ate some of his fries.

Nico met Percy's eyes for a second. He immediately looked away. Subsequently however, he lifted the French fries and put it right in front of Percy's face.

"Take some," Nico said. Percy's smile broadened. This was a very unusual phenomenon. Usually, when they had lunch at school, Nico wouldn't even acknowledge Percy's existence. It looked like their day out was having a great start. Percy was ecstatic.

Percy didn't dare ask why Nico was being generous all of a sudden. It would ruin the other boy's mood. Percy just took a French fry and ate quietly. It was still awkward between the two of them. Percy knew that. He needed to ease his way into the other boy's barriers, and he was pretty sure it wasn't going to be the easiest of tasks.

"What do you want to do first? Any place you had in mind?" Percy asked. Nico just shrugged.

Percy pouted. "Hmm. Maybe we could –." Before Percy could finish what he was going to say, Nico cut him off. "Wait. I…I _do_ have a place in mind actually." Percy noticed that Nico blushed a little.

A smile flashed across Percy's handsome face. "Where?" he asked.

Nico continued to blush. He looked at Percy. "I…I wanna go to the comic book store," he said.

"Oh. Okay. Sure." Percy said, smiling and nodding. What could Nico want at the comic book store? Percy never saw him reading any comics. Percy decided to ask. "You read comic books, Nico?"

"Uh…no…not really," the other boy said, making Percy raise an eyebrow.

"Then what are we going to the comic book store for?" Percy asked.

Nico looked like he was muttering something. He ate his last nugget and finished up his fries before he said anything more. "Ummm…. You'll… You'll find out later, okay?" he said.

It was best to leave it at that. Percy was aware of that. "Ok then," he said. "Looks like you're done eating. So…shall we go?" Percy smiled. Nico nodded.

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><p>There was no one else in the comic book store but the two of them, and the store clerk. Percy observed Nico as the boy went to a shelf with a bunch of figurines in boxes. Percy was right behind Nico. The Italian seemed fidgety when he took hold of one box containing a figurine of a man wearing a dark cloak. Percy read the large yellow letterings on the box. "Mythomagic," it said.<p>

Percy laughed a little. "You're into that?" he asked. Nico faced Percy, looking a bit flustered. The other boy nodded. "I'm collecting the figurines…and the cards," he said. Percy found the whole situation to be very adorable.

"What's it about?" Percy said. Nico gave Percy a puzzled look. Percy chuckled. "Mythomagic, Nico. What's it about?" he added.

"Oh… Yeah… It's about Greek mythology. The cards stand for different types of monsters and the minor gods. I completed them already, actually. The figurines are for the Titans and the Olympians. So far, I have Dionysus, Apollo, Athena, Ares, Kronos, Hestia, Hera, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, -"

"Woah there, Nico. Don't have to enumerate all of them." Percy gave the other boy a thoughtful smile.

"Yeah…Right… I… Well… This one is Hades. I've been looking for one for a long time, but stores are always out of stock. And…here it is. Finally, I got it." Nico looked up and smiled for a second. Realizing that, he turned away, facing the floor. Nico just keeps giving Percy reasons to smile.

"You seem to be really passionate about this," Percy said. Nico didn't say anything. "Hmm… Why don't I buy this for you? It'll be a great keepsake for our day out."

Nico looked at Percy again, eyes widening slightly. "You don't need to Percy," he said. "Besides, I really want to buy this for myself." This made Percy pout.

Nico glared. "Don't make that face," he said. "It's annoying." Percy laughed. Nico punched him in the chest lightly. "Ouch, that hurt" Percy whined, jokingly.

"Hmph. Shut up," Nico said, angrily.

Percy laughed some more. Still chortling, he looked at the shelf. "So…is there anything _else_ you want here?"

Nico bit the inside of his lip. He faced the shelf, and pointed at something. "Poseidon. I don't have Poseidon yet," he said.

"I hate Poseidon," Percy said, trying to sound sarcastic. His dad's name was Poseidon, and Percy wasn't really fond of his dad, but he didn't want to delve into that. "Oh well. Poseidon it is." Nico nodded. Percy was glad Nico didn't ask why he didn't like Poseidon. That topic just bummed Percy out.

They went to the counter to pay for the figurines. The store clerk was a girl who looked their age. She had black wavy hair. She was wearing all black, from her t-shirt to her jeans. She had a silver bracelet with the word "Aegis" inscribed into it. She was sitting at the counter, expressionless. Nico handed her the two figurines.

"How much is one?" Percy asked Nico. "Umm. Twenty-five dollars." Nico replied. Percy was a little shocked. "Oh…Okay." Percy took out his wallet and handed Nico the cash from it.

"Uh… Here you go," Nico told the clerk, awkwardly. The girl gave Nico a dark look. "Thank you, would that be all?" she said, putting the figurines in a paper bag and handing them to Nico.

"Oh… Uh… Yeah…" Nico said. Percy laughed. "Do you always have to be this awkward?" he said. Nico flushed. "I…I'm not _that_ bad," he said. Percy laughed again.

Then, the girl said something unthinkable.

"Are you two together?" Nico and Percy looked at her with wide eyes. Nico was mortified. Percy was, well, shocked. Why would she think that? Although, for some reason, Percy didn't think the thought was _totally_ absurd.

"No! Definitely not! No! He's… No way! I'm not gay. No… We're not together. Never in a million years. No… Definitely no." Nico sounded panicked.

Percy laughed loudly, his head tilting back. "You don't have to panic, Nico" he said. The girl chuckled. "I just assumed, you know. You two looked like a couple. Acted like one, to me. Guess I was wrong." She spoke in such a monotonous tone. You couldn't tell whether she was serious or not.

"Well, we're not." Nico said, matter-of-factly. "Let's get out of here Percy." Percy continued to giggle. This day was really turning out to be very amusing.

The girl chuckled again. "Thank you for coming," she said. Nico walked away abruptly. Percy followed suit.

The two went to an unoccupied bench about ten feet away. Nico needed to sit for a while. He hadn't talked since the comic book store. Percy, on the other hand, hadn't stop smiling.

They sat down on the green metal bench. "I think you're overreacting Neeks," Percy said, trying to hold back his laughter. Nico looked at him. He was angry, no doubt. "I…I just don't like people being all…presumptuous. It annoys me okay? Plus, she mistook _us_ for a couple? It's insane. I mean, you of all people!"

Percy was a little hurt by that. Nico still hated him. Things haven't really changed. Although, Percy _does_ know that it would've been too amazing a feat to make Nico like him after just two hours of spending time together. Maybe…maybe he needed to be upfront about it.

"Nico," Percy said, making Nico face him. "Why do you hate me so much?" Nico eyes widened. His brown eyes pierced Percy in the gut. The Italian's face turned rosy. Percy's expression was that of confusion mixed with pain. He really, really wanted Nico to like him.

Nico turned away. "I…I don't hate you," he said. _I don't believe you_, Percy thought. Nico continued speaking, "You're probably wondering why I'm always so cold to you. Well… I… I can't really tell you Percy. Not right now, anyway. Maybe not even ever. I don't know. But…I don't _hate_ you, okay?"

This must be about Annabeth. Percy was sure of it. He gave Nico a thoughtful smile. "Okay, sure" he said. He left it at that. Getting deeper into the subject would probably irk the other boy.

Percy placed a hand on Nico's head to ruffle the Italian boy's dark hair. Nico squinted. He smiled, afterwards. He didn't face Percy, though. Percy marveled at the other boy's smile. It was a rare gem – one that was always kept, only to be shown on rare occasions. The sight made Percy beam.

"Where do we go next?" Percy said, being his normal enthusiastic self.

Nico looked at Percy. He shrugged. "I don't really have anywhere else in mind," he said. Nico bit the inside of his lip.

Percy sighed. "Arcade then?" he suggested. "Don't think anybody will mistake us for a gay couple there, right?" There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Nico snickered. "So…is that a yes?" Percy added. Nico gave him a nod in reply.

Why did Percy think for a second that this wasn't really going well? Of course it was. Giddiness was building up inside him once again. Before standing up, he patted Nico on the back. Nico didn't seem to be put off by it. He was smiling, even. Percy smiled back. Nico turned rosy pink again when Percy did. The taller teen assumed it was because Nico was just not used to familiarity – though of course, Percy did not know for sure.

Nico looked nervous going inside the arcade. _What is up with this guy? _Percy thought. He was never _this_ nervous when Annabeth was with them.

"No need to be nervous, Nico. It's just the arcade," Percy said, patting Nico on the back.

Nico blushed. "I'm…I'm not nervous. No. I'm not. Of course not." The Italian laughed nervously. Percy chuckled. "Could've fooled me," he said.

The two played a game of Dance Dance Revolution first. Percy did pretty well. Nico, on the other hand, was all over the place. Percy laughed it off. Nico demanded that they play another game.

They decided to have a got at Mario Kart. Percy beat Nico every single time they had a race. _Is he losing on purpose?_ Percy thought. He lingered on the thought for a minute. _Nah_, he concluded. _Why would he do that?_

Nico said he wanted to play Tekken next. Percy chose Lee for his character, while Nico used Asuka. They played a few games. Nico lost all of them. Percy started to wonder again. This was definitely more than abnormal behavior.

"Not doing so well there, Nico," Percy said, while they had another round of Tekken. "Shut up," the other boy said. Upon saying that, Percy placed his final blow, beating Nico once again. You could tell that hearing "Lee Chaolan, wins" for the umpteenth time irritated the Italian boy.

"Maybe we could try playing air hockey?" Percy didn't know whether Nico even wanted to play anymore.

"Sure… sure, whatever" was Nico's reply. His voice sounded fidgety and nervous.

They found an available air hockey table. However, as they approached it, a certain redheaded girl blocked their way.

"Hi there guys. Fancy seeing you here." Rachel Elizabeth Dare stood in front of them, grinning and all. She wore a Harvard University sweater, army pants and blue Converse shoes.

Both Percy and Nico were startled by her sudden emergence. "Hi Rachel," was all Percy could say. Nico was unable to utter a single word. Rachel was in their class, and she was actually pretty good friends with Annabeth, Percy and Nico.

"Where's Annabeth?" she asked, trying to look around to see if the blonde was anywhere.

"Actually, it's just the two of us today," Percy said, recovering from the initial shock.

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Just you two? Seriously?" She eyed Nico. The Italian boy was red. It was as if Rachel knew something Percy didn't.

"This is…weird," she continued. "Did something happen to Annabeth? Did she get hit by a bus or something?"

Percy laughed. "No, Rachel. That's horrible. She just wanted me and Nico to spend more time together."

Rachel started to look even more puzzled. "What for?" Her eyes darted towards Nico, who was still flushed. Percy looked at Nico, then at Rachel. "She wanted us to get along better," he said.

"You know Percy, I'm not feeling very well. Maybe we should just call it a day." Nico turned away and headed for the exit. "Nico, wait!" Percy said, trying to running after the other boy.

Nico was already near the exit of the arcade when Percy caught up to him. "Nico!" Percy yelled, not caring that there were loads of other people around. "What's wrong with you? Do _really_ feel sick? Because that would explain a lot." Nico walked briskly, and so did Percy.

"I… I can't tell you okay?" Nico said. Percy, for the first time, was getting frustrated.

"Why the fuck can't you tell me?" he said. Percy stopped walking and grabbed the other boy's arm so he'd keep still. He looked at Nico with an expression that said 'I want answers.'

"Be…because." Nico mumbled something that Percy couldn't understand. "_Because_?" Percy said.

"Because you'll hate me!" Nico's voice didn't sound angry, but it was loud and abrupt nonetheless.

Percy didn't know how to react to what Nico said. Was that a confirmation of his suspicions? Did Nico think Percy would hate him just because he has feelings for his best friend? However, that didn't explain why he would leave just because Rachel was there. Unless… _Right, Rachel must know about it_, Percy thought.

"I'm really confused, Nic" Percy said, not able to find better words to convey his thoughts.

"Let's just call it a day, okay? Please? I'm really tired." Nico really _was _tired. It was obvious.

"I guess it's fine. Sure. I'm pretty tired too, anyway." Percy really wasn't. He wanted to eat more nuggets, buy more figurines, and play more arcade games with the other boy, but he was very much aware that that wasn't possible in Nico's current state.

"I'm going through the main exit. Wanna walk there together?" Percy said, attempting to lengthen their time together even just for a little while.

Nico's mouth was half-open. He gave Percy a small smile before saying something. "I…I think I'll be going the other way," he said.

"Oh." _Fail._ "Well…bye then." Nico nodded, and then turned away. He waved before walking off. Percy just stood there, watching the other boy leave.

"Nico!" Percy yelled. The boy was a few feet away. He turned around, eyes widened. "Did you have a good time?" Percy asked.

Nico smiled and nodded.

Percy smiled and nodded.

Nico continued walking. Percy continued watching. He did so until Nico was out of sight.

_He had a good time_, Percy thought. Percy felt like doing a victory dance. His insides sure were. He was smiling uncontrollably.

Nothing could ruin his day now because Nico di Angelo had a _fucking_ awesome time.

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><p><strong>Did you guys like it? I'm neurotic, I'm sorry.<strong>

**~ LC**


	2. Chapter 2

**I am beyond thankful to the people who enjoyed (and reviewed) the first chapter. _BEYOND _thankful. It's a giant confidence boost for a noob like me.**

**Also, I'm really trying to depict New York life correctly, guys. I don't live there, so I based what I wrote on pop culture and stuff.**

**Here's the second chapter!**

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><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairings: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO), slight Percabeth, and slight Grover/Juniper

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a little OOC. Also, sorry for the silly mistakes that may appear. Oh, and hopefully I've fixed my verb tense problems.

**Skinny Love**

**Chapter 2**

The Monday after Percy and Nico's day out, Annabeth asked the two for a detailed account of the events that took place. Percy was the one to tell the story. He didn't tell her everything though. He just told her about buying the Mythomagic figurines and going to the arcade. There was no mention about Nico's nuggets-and-fries-sharing, nor of the girl who thought they were a couple. He also left out the part about Rachel suddenly appearing and Nico suddenly storming out. In a way, Percy wanted to keep all the memories of that day to himself.

Percy described the day as "really fun" and "one hell of an awesome time." It was true for Percy, and he guessed it was true for Nico as well. After all, he _had_ confirmed that he had a good time.

Annabeth, upon learning this, gave the two boys hugs and kisses. Percy's kisses were on the lips. Nico's weren't, naturally. Seeing this happen, a thought entered Percy's mind: _Nico must be really jealous of me right now_.

Nico was quiet the whole time this transpired. He let Percy talk without interjecting, and he received Annabeth's affection without protest. Nico became noticeably red though when Percy described their day as "one hell of an awesome time." Annabeth didn't notice this, but Percy did. He found great delight in the other boy's discomfort. It was a little mean, thinking about it, but Percy couldn't help it. Before, Nico would've said something along the lines of "that was the worst fucking day of my life." The current Nico just fidgeted and made awkward eye contact with Percy and Annabeth.

"Stop being so self-conscious, Nico" Annabeth had said, after giving Nico a kiss on the cheek. Nico only reacted by looking down to the ground.

It's been a little more than two weeks since all that happened – a very weird two weeks at that. Today was a Friday. For the past two weeks, Percy had been noticing several changes in Nico's attitude.

Nico wasn't an angry little bitch all the time anymore. However, his habit of scowling at Percy just turned into a habit of avoiding Percy's eyes every time they met, so you could say that there was something different but at the same time, nothing really changed.

Another thing very peculiar that had been happening for two weeks was that Nico and Rachel Elizabeth Dare have been having little talks in between classes. Nico always looked tense whenever this occurred. It was really strange. Percy wanted to know what they were talking about. Although, he strongly suspected that they were discussing Nico's hidden feelings for his best friend.

Annabeth and Percy both noticed Nico's strange behavior. Annabeth appeared to just brush it off though. Percy was little more on the bothered side. He was worried that Nico might be hurting inside or something.

Percy didn't eat lunch with Nico and Annabeth on Fridays. It was a chilly November afternoon. Percy sat with his friends Grover, Travis and Connor on their usual lunch table.

Grover Underwood was a tall, half African-American, half Latino boy. He was like a brother to Percy. The twins, Travis and Connor Stoll were a couple of fun-loving, prank-loving guys with messy brown hair. Percy loved hanging out with the two because of their silly antics. In a sea of people Percy was friendly with, these three were his favorites – aside from Annabeth and Nico of course.

"How are things with Annabeth?" Grover asked Percy. They were all eating different types of sandwiches.

"Great. Things are going great," Percy said. That wasn't a lie at all. There wasn't anything wrong with Percy and Annabeth's relationship. Well, maybe except for the fact that Percy was thinking _way_ too much about Annabeth's best friend.

"You getting any?" Travis asked, suggestively. Connor, who was beside him, was nodding and making dirty hand gestures to go along with Travis' dirty question. They leaned in, expecting for a good answer from Percy.

Percy blushed and laughed. "No. No, we haven't done it yet. I thought I told you guys. Annabeth isn't ready yet."

"Just asking," Travis said, slumping back. Connor followed suit. Grover and Percy laughed.

"You coming to the party later at Beckendorf's place?" Grover asked. Beckendorf was a guy in their class.

"Oh. Yeah, I'm going with Annabeth and Nico," Percy said.

A few tables away, Percy noticed Nico and Annabeth taking their seats. _Nico must love his alone time with Annabeth_, Percy thought. Annabeth saw Percy and waved. Percy waved back. Nico and Percy's eyes met for a second, making Nico tense up. He abruptly put down his tray and looked away from Percy's direction. Percy beamed.

Grover tugged Percy's arm suddenly. "P-Percy. L-look over there," he said.

Travis and Connor, who sat across from Grover and Percy, turned around. Percy looked to the direction Grover pointed to.

"Man. Those girls are hot," Connor said.

There were four girls in red school uniforms entering the cafeteria. They were all very pretty. Their uniforms completely set them apart from the multitude of students sitting in the cafeteria wearing casual clothing. It was like they were on Gossip Girl or something.

The tallest of the girls had long, silky-black hair and features like a Persian princess. Her eyes were pitch black like volcanic rocks. The girl standing next to her also had black hair, but had pale skin and blue eyes that looked like the ocean. Beside her was a girl who looked whimsical with her elfish face, green eyes and amber colored hair. She was shorter than the three other girls.

The last girl, who stood behind the others, looked familiar.

Horribly familiar.

Scarily familiar.

Her electric blue eyes together with her statuesque figure gave her a commanding aura. She had jet-black hair, kind of like Nico's, but it had more of a wavy nature. Percy didn't recognize her at once because of the way she was dressed and because she seemed a lot…fancier than when he first saw her. It was her silver bracelet gave her away. The bracelet that had the word "Aegis."

It was none other than the girl from the comic book store – the one who thought Percy and Nico were a couple.

Percy, instead of being in a state of shock, chortled at the sight of her. Remembering the events of that day always made him smile, and standing right there by the doors to their cafeteria was a witness to those events.

Percy turned to Nico's direction for a quick look. Nico hadn't noticed yet. He was eating some peas on his plate, but then, he lifted his head. He did a double take, looking unsure about what he had just seen. He said something to Annabeth, who had an eyebrow raised. Nico stood up and walked briskly towards the comfort room. _This guy's hilarious,_ Percy thought, trying to hold back a fit of laughter.

"I heard about some girls from Park Avenue were visiting today," Grover said. His eyes darted to the shortest girl. He seemed very attracted to her.

"For what?" Percy asked.

"Who fucking cares?" Connor said. "They're so hot." Travis added. Connor nodded in agreement. _Horndogs_, Percy thought.

"Yeah, sure." Percy actually didn't find them _that _pretty. He thought Annabeth looked a lot better, and – though he was embarrassed to admit it – he thought Nico was a hundred times more beautiful (yes, beautiful) than those Park Avenue girls.

The girl from the comic book store wore a blank expression, just like the one she had when she sat on the counter in the store. Percy didn't know what he should do in this situation. Should he try to get her attention? Should he say hi? Should he just go up to her? Should he grab Nico and see if she'd still think they were a couple? No – definitely not the last one.

He realized he didn't need to think about that anymore, because he noticed that she was looking at him. She smiled suggestively, and then looked away slowly.

"Percy… That… That girl just smiled at you," Grover said, shaking Percy's arm that was on the table.

Travis and Connor looked at Percy, dumbfounded. "Great," Connor said. "They go for the one who's taken!"

Percy rolled his eyes and chuckled. "It's not what you think," he said. "I know her from somewhere."

"You know someone from Park Avenue?" Travis said. "How dare you not tell us, selfish bastard."

"I didn't know she was from Park Avenue. I swear, I would've told you if I did," Percy sniggered. "She works in the comic book store Nico and I went to two weeks ago."

"A rich girl like her? Work at a comic book store? What? I don't think so Percy," Connor said, unconvinced.

"Yeah. That…that must've been her long lost twin or something," Travis added.

"Shut up you two," Grover said. "Percy, Percy, you think you could like…go with me over there? I wanna talk to that short girl. She's _fiiiine_."

Percy chuckled and then nodded. "Sure thing, Grover." He looked over to Annabeth's table. She was busy eating. _She wouldn't mind…right? _Percy thought.

Grover and Percy walked over to the girls who now sat on their own table. All of them except the girl with the silver bracelet were busy talking with each other. The girl lit up a cigarette. It wasn't allowed in the school, but Percy guessed it was fine if they were just visiting.

"Hi," Grover said, as he stood by their table with Percy. All the girls looked at him. They had their eyebrows raised. It was as if Grover was some kind of pest.

"Hi there," Percy said, looking at the girl from the comic book store. She had a small smile on her face. "Hi," she said.

"You know these guys?" the tallest girl said.

"No, Zoe" the girl said. "Just the brown-haired one." Her voice was as monotonous as before.

She stared at Percy for a while. She took a quick whiff of her cigarette. "Where's your boyfriend?" she said. Grover gave Percy a disconcerted look. The girl with eyes like the ocean and the girl with the whimsical face looked at Percy, wide-eyed and heavily amused. Zoe looked uninterested. Percy blushed.

The girl with eyes like the ocean spoke. "This guy's gay, Thalia? Ooooh. That's so interesting!" _So her name's Thalia_, Percy thought. Zoe rolled her eyes.

"It was a joke, Silena" Thalia said. "But I was _just_ as disappointed as you when I found out." She smiled at Percy again with the same air of mystery.

"So… Is your comic book store gig some kind of undercover job or something?" Percy said, pertaining to Thalia.

"I'm allowed to have a hobby, aren't I?" Thalia said, her voice sounding naturally powerful. Percy just laughed.

"Umm," Grover started saying. "I… You guys having a good visit so far?"

"This guy's trying to pick us up. Oh my God, Zoe. Are you hearing this?" Silena said, looking giddy and shaking Zoe's arm.

"Cute," the short girl said. "I think it's cute. I think _he's _cute."

Grover blushed. It was that girl who he wanted attention from in the first place.

"What're your names?" the short girl said.

"Grover." he replied, sounding nervous. Percy shouldered him. "Oh, and this is Percy," he added.

"I'm Juniper," she said, smiling. Grover blushed.

Percy glanced at Grover and Juniper. They looked like they were having a meet cute – the one you see in those bad romantic comedies.

"I think I'm done here," Percy said, flashing a grin at everyone. He waved at Thalia.

"Say hi to the other guy for me, Percy" she said.

"Nico," Percy said. "His name's Nico." He felt the need to broadcast his name to everyone. Thalia smirked.

Percy left Grover with the girls. He was going to head back to the table, but he decided to head for the comfort room instead. He wanted to see if there was a certain person there who was still hiding.

Inside the comfort room, he saw Nico just standing by a cubicle. He was looking around, ill at ease. Seeing Percy, Nico flushed. _He must really not want Annabeth to think he's gay_. Percy cracked up. "You don't need to hide, Nicks. Nothing bad's gonna happen," he said.

Nico's face tensed up. "I…I'm not –"

Percy interrupted him. "Don't try and make excuses, Nico. I saw you go in here when you saw Thalia."

"Who's… Her… Her name's Thalia? You talked to her?" Nico asked.

Percy nodded. "Yeah," he said. "She told me to tell _you_ that _she_ said hi." He beamed at Nico. The Italian boy bit the inside of his lip. "Oh. Umm. Okay?" he said, looking unsure.

Percy moved closer to the other boy. "You're coming to the party later, right?" he said. "Y-yeah. Yeah, I am" Nico said. Percy smiled.

"So…you wanna get out of here or what?" Percy laughed. He placed an arm around the Italian's shoulders. "C'mon," Percy said. Nico was streak red, and his head was bowed. Percy didn't really know what to make of it.

They walked out of the comfort room with Percy's arm still around Nico.

"Umm, can you get the fuck off please?" Nico said. He still had a little spunk in him after all.

Percy chuckled. "Sure thing," he said.

With that, Nico gave Percy an awkward nod and headed towards the lunch table where Annabeth was. She was looking at Percy, inquisitively. Percy grinned and then shrugged. 'I'll tell you later,' he mouthed.

As Percy walked back to the lunch table, he couldn't help but wonder: Was it normal for him to have this fondness for Nico? Sitting back on his lunch table, where Travis and Connor were laughing profusely about something, Percy looked over to Annabeth and Nico's table. Annabeth was talking to Nico about something. It looked like Annabeth was telling him a joke.

Nico smiled.

A weird rush built up inside Percy. He blushed.

"Percy," someone said. "Hey, Percy! What are you staring at? Yo!"

Percy was startled. It was Travis. The twins looked at Percy with expectant looks in their eyes.

"Nothing. I… I wasn't looking at anything," Percy said, unconvincingly.

Travis and Connor didn't believe him, naturally. "You were looking at Annabeth weren't you?" Connor said.

Percy tried to calm his mind so he could give a good response. "I wasn't looking at her guys, I swear."

"Then why were you blushing? You looked like a sexually frustrated horndog, which I'm pretty sure you are," Travis said.

"Either that or he was looking at Nico," Connor said. The twins cackled. Percy laughed nervously. _Oh fuck,_ he thought.

_Ring, ring – _saved by the bell. "Aw, fuck." Travis said. "We gotta go to the freaking Chemistry lab," Connor added. They stood up, and waved at Percy almost simultaneously.

"See ya, Percy" Travis said.

"Y-yeah. See ya," Percy said. He couldn't stand up yet. He was having an awkward realization.

His interest in Nico was definitely _not_ normal.

_No_, Percy thought. _This is completely normal. It'll go away. Yeah…it will._

Percy felt tense. He needed to go to class now, and later, he needed to see Annabeth. He really did.

* * *

><p>Percy felt more assured after classes were over.<p>

Percy and Annabeth stopped by his apartment before going to Beckendorf's party. Prior to this, he told Annabeth all about Thalia and how she thought Percy and Nico were together. He also told her about the way Nico reacted to seeing her today. Annabeth thought it was funny. "That's so Nico," she had said.

"Hi Percy, hi Annabeth," Percy's mom Sally said upon seeing the young couple enter the residence. She smiled at the two. Sally was the best mother Percy could ask for. She was beyond caring and very, very doting. Sally was definitely where Percy got his refreshing spirit.

"Hey mom," Percy said, smiling thoughtfully.

"Hi Mrs. Blofis," Annabeth said. Now, the reason why Sally's last name was Blofis and not Jackson was that she and Percy's dad Poseidon were divorced. This was just one reason for Percy's dislike for his father.

Sally was married to Paul Blofis, who was a professor at New York University. He, just like Sally, was very kind-hearted and thoughtful. He wasn't at the apartment at the moment.

"What are you guys doing here? I thought you had a party to go to?" Sally asked. Percy and Annabeth were standing by the doorway of the white-walled apartment. Sally was talking to them from their gray kitchen counter. She sat on a high stool while she ate a bowl of soup.

"Oh, I'm just gonna change. My clothes got a little dirty," Percy said, walking to the door to his room with Annabeth. They were holding hands.

"Okay, then" Sally said, going back to her business.

Percy opened the door to his bedroom, which had blue walls, a bed with white sheets, and a shelf with some books and figurines. His closet was positioned against the wall by his bed. He also had a study table where his laptop was stationed.

"Your room's still really messy, Percy" Annabeth said, pertaining to the dirty clothes that lay on the floor and the paper balls that were scattered under his study table. If Percy had one flaw, it was that he wasn't the tidiest of people.

"I thought I told you to clean this up," Annabeth added, picking up some clothes from the floor and putting them in a laundry hamper by Percy's bed.

Percy laughed. "Sorry," he said. "But I left that mess for you, you know. I know how much you love cleaning." It was a silly joke.

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain" Annabeth said, laughing and planting a kiss on Percy's lips. Seaweed Brain was just a funny nickname Annabeth thought up for Percy.

Despite the fact that what Percy said was a joke, Annabeth started cleaning while Percy picked his clothes. As he did, his mind wandered a little. He took a pair of black jeans out, and he couldn't help but think of Nico's jet-black hair. It was a very, very strange thought. When he took out a red sweater, he remembered their day out together, and how cute Nico looked in his own red sweater.

"Percy, just pick something already. You look good in everything anyway," Annabeth said. Percy faced her, a little startled. "Oh…Yeah…" he said. He shook his head, trying make his weird thoughts go away.

In the end, Percy picked out a blue flannel shirt and light blue jeans. He and Annabeth looked like a perfect match since she wore a blue denim jacket, a periwinkle t-shirt and dark blue jeans. "We look perfect," Percy told Annabeth, making her smile and plant another tiny kiss on Percy's lips. _Is this what Nico wants?_ Percy thought. _Does he want Annabeth's lips on his?_ Percy started feel a little angry all of the sudden.

"Let's go?" Annabeth said, taking Percy's hand in hers. Percy nodded, forgetting his slight anger, and they headed out.

* * *

><p>It wasn't hard to get to Beckendorf's apartment. It was actually pretty near Percy's apartment building – just a few blocks away.<p>

Charles Beckendorf, a tall and muscular African American dude, was the one to open the door when Percy and Annabeth knocked. "Hey there," he said. There were already a number of people inside.

Beckendorf was pretty rich. His dad was a pretty well known volcanologist, who traveled all around the world. His mom, on the other hand, was a very successful businesswoman. The reason he went to Percy's school was that his dad wanted him to have a "normal" life.

However, Beckendorf's place was far from just your regular apartment. It had two stories. The first had the kitchen, the living room and the game room, while the second had all the bedrooms. It looked extravagant, so to speak.

Beckendorf directed Percy and Annabeth in and then he sat with a bunch of people on his leather couch. There were a few people in his kitchen talking and drinking a few beers. Percy also heard loud voices from upstairs that he was pretty sure belonged to Travis and Connor.

As he and Annabeth sat down by the kitchen counter, Percy noticed something very peculiar. Grover was sitting on another couch along with the four Park Avenue girls, who were all in casual clothing now. Percy waved at them. Groved waved back. Thalia gave him a little wink. The others didn't seem to notice.

Annabeth tugged Percy's sleeve. "Hey, there's Nico" she said. Hearing the other boy's name made Percy excited. "Where?" he asked, looking around the apartment.

"There, by the stairs" she said. "He's talking to Rachel."

Rachel and Nico looked like they were having a serious talk. Nico looked tense, while Rachel looked concerned. _There they go again,_ Percy thought.

Loud music started to play. "Let's go over there," Annabeth said, dragging Percy towards Nico and Rachel's direction.

When they got there, Rachel, who wore a Maroon 5 t-shirt and skinny jeans gave them an odd smile. Nico also smiled although he looked edgy at the same time. He was wearing a green button-up shirt and dark blue jeans.

"Hey guys," Annabeth said, letting go of Percy and putting her hands on her hips. "What are you talking about?"

Nico opened his mouth, but no words came out. Rachel, on the other hand, said: "Nothing. Nothing important."

"Oh c'mon," Annabeth said. "Don't give me that. Nico, tell me what you were talking about." She sounded imposing. Percy was a little startled by that.

Nico still wouldn't say a word. "Well?" Annabeth said. Percy didn't know where all of this was coming from. He thought Annabeth didn't really care about Rachel and Nico's little talks.

"Do we really have to get into this now, babe? I mean, we're at a party," Percy said, trying to cool off Annabeth.

"Stay out of this Percy," Annabeth said. "Nico, you've been really, really secretive with me lately, and it's been annoying me to death. I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other?" Her tone had a hint of pain in it.

All eyes were on Nico. Rachel gave him a concerned look. Annabeth looked at him with an angry look, and Percy looked at him with worry. Nico bowed his head.

"I…" Nico began to say. "Not here…not…not when Percy's around."

"And why not?" Annabeth said. Rachel started to look as nervous as Nico.

"He just can't, okay?" Nico said. He sounded as imposing as Annabeth did.

Annabeth sighed. "Fine," she said. "Percy, could you…?"

Percy nodded. "Got it," he said. "I'll go over to Grover." _This is it_, he thought. _He's gonna tell Annabeth._

"And I'll be coming with him," Rachel said, grabbing Percy's arm to drag him to the couch, leaving Nico and Annabeth to talk privately.

_Why does everyone have to drag me around today? _Percy thought while Rachel tugged his arm.

They stopped in front of Grover and the Park Avenue girls. "Hi," Percy said when Rachel let go of him. "Hey Percy, hey Rachel" Grover said.

"Grover. I didn't know you were such a ladies man," Rachel said, referring to the fact that Grover had a bunch of girls surrounding him.

"Don't you dare associate me with him," Zoe said. She was sitting the farthest from Grover. He was in between Silena and Juniper, and Thalia was between Silena and Zoe.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and I solemnly swear that I will not associate you with fine men like Grover," she said, eyeing Grover suggestively. Silena and Juniper laughed. Percy and Thalia chuckled. Zoe scowled.

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Grover said, puzzled. "Thought you were with Nico and Annabeth?"

"They're having this private talk thing," Percy said. "They didn't want me to intrude." Grover replied with an "Oh."

Rachel sat on the floor by Grover's feet. Percy followed suit. Rachel started silly conversations with Grover and the girls. Thalia was smoking a cigarette, minding her own business. Zoe didn't contribute anything to the atmosphere. Percy, on the other hand, was deep in thought.

Annabeth _had_ been worried about Nico's behavior. She wasn't just brushing it off. But…why _did _Nico have a sudden attitude change? Was it because of Annabeth? Doesn't make much sense though.

Percy liked the change. He liked it very much. However, he was bothered by the fact that he thought the Italian boy was adorable. Percy remembered the whole blushed-while-Nico-smiled thing that happened a while ago. He felt a heat building up inside his body. He covered his face in fear of the possibility that he may look like a giant tomato at the moment.

"Percy?" Grover said. "What's wrong man?"

"N-nothing's wrong," Percy said, his hands still covering his face.

"Are you missing someone?" Thalia said after taking another whiff of her cigarette. "Your boyfriend maybe?" She chuckled while Silena and Juniper giggled. Percy and Rachel looked at her, wide-eyed.

"I…I…No. What? Annabeth…" Percy was at a loss for words.

"Percy," Rachel said with a tone of urgency. "Let me talk to you for a second. In private. Do you mind guys?"

"Not at all," Thalia said, slyly.

"Grover?" Rachel said.

"Oh, yeah. Sure," Grover replied.

Rachel and Percy stood up. Rachel grabbed his arm again and pulled him through the swarm of people in the apartment. She was heading for the exit.

"Where are we going?" Percy asked.

"In the hall," Rachel said. "Where no one else is around."

She opened the door and walked on to the hallway. She let go of Percy. "Let's sit," she said, taking a seat on the floor with her back against the wall. The hallway was a little dim. The olive green walls and the dark brown floor made it seem all the more dimmer. Percy sat beside Rachel, imitating her position.

Rachel breathed in and then exhaled. "So," she said. "What do you know?" She turned to Percy.

"Know about what, Rachel?" Percy said, confused. "I really have no idea what you're talking about." _Unless you're referring to Nico's feelings for Annabeth, _Percy thought.

Rachel sighed. "He wasn't kidding when he said you were oblivious. _My God_," she said.

Percy got even more confused. Who was "he?" Nico?

"Is…is this about the way Nico's been acting lately?" Percy asked. He was pretty sure that it _was_ what Rachel was talking about though.

Rachel sighed again. "Well, duh" she said, confirming Percy's notion. There was silence for a while.

"Remember that time in the arcade when Nico stormed out?" Rachel asked, breaking the silence. Percy nodded and said "of course."

"You know why he did that?" Rachel continued.

"Because he was embarrassed," Percy said, matter-of-factly.

"And _why_ was he embarrassed?" Rachel said, giving Percy a look of exasperation.

"Because…you know something. That's it, right?" Percy said, quite confidently.

"Bingo," Rachel said, plainly. "At least you know _that_."

"So…what do _you_ know?" Percy said, hoping for a straight answer.

Rachel sighed. She bit the inside of her lip. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that," she said. "Nico would go berserk."

"Then what's the point of this whole talk?" Percy said, frustration in his voice.

"You know what, you're right. I guess this talk's kind of pointless, isn't it?" she said. "Let me just ask you this, Percy Jackson: do you like Nico?"

What? That was such a weirdly direct question to ask. Percy thought so. Was she asking if he liked Nico as a friend or… _Of course she's asking if I like him as a friend, _Percy thought. He didn't want to get his mind any more mixed up.

"Of course I do. Nico's great," he said. That was no lie. He really, really liked Nico, and today, he even realized that his fondness for the Italian boy may be a tad bit unusual.

Rachel sighed once more. "As a friend?" she said. Percy did nothing but nod. He feared that if he talked, he would regret what he'd say.

"Well then," she said. "That's all I needed to know." Rachel stood up, and yawned. "I'm going back to the party," she continued.

"W-wait!" Percy exclaimed. "I still don't get it. What the hell is going on with Nico? Can't you just tell me?" Percy really, _really_ wanted to know. He was getting really tired of all the puzzles.

"Oh Percy, Percy, Percy," Rachel said, chuckling. "You may be the nicest guy in the school but you are _beyond_ dense. Read between the lines, Perce. That Thalia girl sure did – pretty damn well at that."

With that, she opened the door, making the loud music resonate through the halls. She entered, leaving Percy there, sitting all alone. The door closed with a slight _bang_. Percy could now only hear faint music from inside.

Percy was so confused – not just because of what Rachel said, but also because of his own feelings. He was starting to get really frustrated by everything, which was very unusual for him. He still had a gut feeling that Rachel was talking about Nico's feelings for Annabeth, but somehow, he felt a little unsure about it now.

However, amidst all his confusion and all the uncertainty surrounding him, he was pretty sure about one thing. Embarrassed as he was to admit it, the fact still remained:

Percy wanted to see Nico di Angelo – really, _really _badly.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Hope it wasn't all over the place.<strong>

**~ LC the Brave**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews! I'm overjoyed by all of them. (as you may have noticed, I'm really fond of replying)**

**I hope all of you like this chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairings: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO), slight Percabeth

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a little OOC. Sorry for random grammatical errors that are sure to appear!

* * *

><p><strong>Skinny Love<strong>

**Chapter 3**

It was very hard for Percy to accept everything that happened the previous night.

_ You may be the nicest guy in the school but you are beyond dense. Read between the lines, Perce._ Rachel's words haunted him. It constantly rang in his ear like a never-ending voice mail. He was not even _close_ to finding out what it meant.

That wasn't all though.

Percy, who currently lay on his bed in a light blue shirt and white boxer shorts with his eyes wide open, was also deeply disturbed by Annabeth's cryptic behavior last night. It was, of course, after her talk with Nico that she suddenly acted all weird and ill at ease.

"N-Nico, wait! I really didn't mean it that way!" was what Annabeth said, emerging from Beckendorf's apartment. Nico, who looked very cross, had just stormed out. He didn't notice Percy, who was still sitting on the hallway floor. Annabeth, who looked like she wanted to run after the Italian boy, just couldn't catch up with him. Percy saw all of this, and he was dumbfounded to say the least.

"Annabeth? What…what's going on?" Percy said, utterly confused and desperate for answers. Annabeth's eyes widened when she saw him. "P-Percy," she said. "I…I thought you were with Grover." She sounded anxious. She obviously didn't want Percy to know what Nico told her.

Percy got on his feet. "Why did Nico storm out?" he asked. "What did he tell you?" He hoped at least Annabeth would be direct with him. Annabeth looked at him with pain and worry in her eyes.

"I…I can't tell you Percy," Annabeth said, her eyes staring directly at Percy's. "He told me not to." _Great_, Percy thought. _Annabeth too?_

"Why not?" Percy said, his voice hinting frustration. At that moment, Percy thought about his theory. Did Annabeth reject Nico? Was that why he stormed out? In a way, it made sense, but Percy felt like there was more to the story and naturally, he wanted to know.

Annabeth tried to give him a comforting look. "We were so oblivious, Percy. I…I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner," she said, putting a hand on Percy's cheek for a moment.

"_What_ should've you realized sooner? What did Nico tell you Annabeth? Just tell me. Please," Percy said. His tone was that of desperation, but feelings of frustration were embedded in it.

"I…I really can't tell you Perce…" Annabeth paused. "Look, I…I'm gonna go to Nico's. I need to fix things with him," she said. Percy gave her a fazed look. "Can I come with you?" he said.

Annabeth shook her head. "I'm afraid you can't Percy," she said. Percy's heart fell. "I…I'm gonna go now, okay?" she continued, giving Percy one last look before leaving.

Percy stayed there in the hallway. His thoughts hindered him from moving. He felt like his inkling had been confirmed, but at the same time, it wasn't. He couldn't think of any explanation for everything that had been happening. Why was Nico behaving the way he did? What did Rachel mean when she said "read between the lines?" What did Annabeth say that made Nico angry?

Those were the same thoughts that were entering Percy's mind at present. It was 7:30 in the morning, and he hardly slept a wink.

"Gah!" he screamed, letting out his frustration. He had his hands above his eyes.

Percy heard a vibration. It was his phone, which was on his study table. Percy sat up. He sighed. Once he got on his feet, Percy approached his study table with his thoughts yet to be appeased.

When Percy flipped his phone open to check why it vibrated, he was surprised – and really, really ecstatic – to find out that it was a message from none other than Nico di Angelo. _This is new,_ he thought. Percy beamed. He hadn't even read it yet and he was already happy about it.

'Sorry about last night' – plain and simple. _What does he have to be sorry about?_ Percy thought. _Absolutely nothing_.

Percy sent a reply. 'Nothing to be sorry about Nico,' he typed. He attached a smiley face emoticon to go with the message. He thought it showed more endearment.

It was odd. Percy's frustration completely withered just because he got a text message. He didn't delve into the notion. He just savored the happiness.

Percy lay back on his bed, still feeling cheery. He thought about Nico. He thought about Nico's adorable quirks. He thought about Nico's deathly, but beautiful, pale skin. He thought about Nico's handsome features. He thought about Nico's smile.

Percy felt a heat rushing through him from head to toe – including his groin. He was turning red.

_Oh shit,_ he thought. _It's happening again._

The door opened.

"Percy?" It was Sally. Percy always got interrupted when he was having moments like these, and thankfully so.

Percy sat up, his eyes widening. Sally looked at Percy questioningly before she continued to speak. "Breakfast's ready," she said. She paused for a moment. "Is everything okay?" she added.

Percy swallowed. "Y-yeah mom," he said, stuttering. "I'll be right out."

"Okay then," Sally said, giving Percy a worried look before heading back out.

Percy was still holding his phone. The screen still flashed Nico's message. Percy flipped his phone closed. He was still very much happy about the message, but his muddled feelings towards the other boy started to confuse him again.

Percy walked out of his room. Outside, he saw Sally and Paul sitting by their white dining table, which matched their walls. They were already eating the pancakes that had been prepared by Sally.

Paul, upon seeing Percy, smiled and said "G' morning sport."

"Morning, Paul" Percy replied. He thought it was too weird to call Paul "dad," so Percy opted to call Paul by his first name. Paul was okay with this. Also, Percy felt that saying "dad" was uncomfortable since he isn't very fond of his real dad, who he doesn't see very much.

Percy sat down with Sally and Paul. They ate silently, apart from a few questions from Sally and Paul about school. Percy's thoughts wandered. Again, he thought about his theory. _Did Nico really confess to Annabeth?_ Percy thought. The thought made Percy a little angry for some reason.

Rachel's words entered his mind again. _'Read between the lines.' What did she mean by that?_ Percy thought.

Then, he realized something. Rachel had said something about Thalia. She said Thalia "read between the lines." Percy wondered what that meant. _Does Thalia know something?_ Percy thought.

It was highly possible that that was what Rachel meant. What made no sense was how she could've come up with that conclusion. They've only had one conversation after all.

Percy decided that he had to have a talk with Thalia.

It was a Saturday, so he pretty much knew just where to find her.

* * *

><p>The comic book store was just as empty as when Percy last visited, and the store clerk was just as mysterious.<p>

It was around two o'clock in the afternoon.

"Surprised to see you here," Thalia said. She wore a dark blue shirt and skinny jeans along with her leather jacket. Percy was wearing a white The Smiths t-shirt and jeans along with his blue North Face jacket. He was standing by the counter, which had a number of vintage Detective Comics and Justice League volumes on display. The brunette was a little fidgety knowing what he came there for.

"I…I needed to have a little talk with you," he said. Thalia gave Percy a look that said 'okay?' "About what?" she asked.

"About Nico," he said. Thalia smiled slyly. "Interesting," she said.

Percy put his hands on the counter. He inhaled and then exhaled. "Umm…so…" he started saying.

"You better spit it out, Percy" Thalia said, smirking.

"Rachel said something about you 'reading between the lines'," Percy said. Thalia raised on eyebrow. "I think she thinks you know what's going on with Nico," he continued.

Thalia smirked again. "Rachel is a smart girl," she said. "Very smart indeed."

"So…you _do _know something?" Percy said. He felt he was a little bit closer to getting the answers he wanted. "Thalia, you _gotta_ tell me."

"You seriously think I'll just tell you right off the bat?" Thalia said, chuckling. "That's no fun."

Percy started to feel exasperated. In a way, he knew this was coming.

"Please? I feel this is really important but no one wants me to know, Thalia. It's frustrating," Percy said, slight desperation in his voice.

Thalia chuckled once again. She was really fond of doing that.

"The reason why no one will tell you Percy is because it's so _obvious_, and you, my friend, are just being an oblivious idiot." Even though the content of what she said would've usually been said in an angry tone, Thalia said it in a lukewarm and half-hearted fashion.

Percy didn't know how to reply to that. He still didn't get it – _at all_. He felt like an idiot.

Thalia sighed and then rolled her eyes. "Lemme give you a hint," she said, making Percy stare at her with undivided attention.

"Why do you think Nico turns rosy pink whenever _you're_ around, huh?" she said, with an eyebrow raised suggestively. "It was really cute seeing that here you know."

Percy was silent for a while, trying to internalize what she had just said. He was also trying to decipher it. Percy, who had the analytical prowess of a flea, still didn't get it.

"Is it because…he hates me or…something?" he said.

Thalia glared. _Now_ she was getting angry. She looked like she wanted to throw a rock at Percy. He could've sworn there were thunderbolts in her eyes. "Seriously?" she exclaimed. "I don't think you'll ever get it at this rate," she added.

Percy sighed and then bowed his head.

"Was that all you came here for?" Thalia said. "Because this is not turning out as fun as I thought it would be."

"Yeah," Percy said, downcast. "That's about it."

Percy walked out of the comic book store feeling dejected. He decided that he would just take a walk around the mall. He needed a lot of time to think.

_Why do you think Nico turns rosy pink whenever _you're_ around, huh?_ What did Thalia mean by that? What was with the emphasis on "you're?" Percy tried his best to connect the statement to his theory about Nico's feelings towards Annabeth, but he just couldn't put it together.

Percy passed by a lot of shops and restaurants. He didn't enter any one of them. He thought of going inside the arcade, but decided against it. He also thought of getting a bite to eat at Burger King, but he ended up not doing so. He just looked over, and then kept walking. He was going in circles actually.

Percy thought of everything that had happened – from his day out with Nico to his conversation with Thalia – and he tried to put them all together, but he didn't come to any conclusion. He was getting seriously aggravated.

Percy felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. _Who could that be?_ Percy thought. He stopped walking for a moment. He took his phone out, and flipped it open.

Annabeth was calling. Percy picked it up immediately.

"Hello? Annabeth?" he said with hope in his voice. Percy continued walking, just looking ahead so he wouldn't bump anyone.

"Percy! Hi!" It was Annabeth all right. "Where are you? I called your apartment and you weren't there."

"I'm at the mall," he said, almost bumping into a little kid. "Came here to buy something."

"Oh…" Annabeth said. "Okay then. I just called to tell you that Nico and I are fine now. It wasn't anything big really." Percy could tell that the last part was a lie.

"That's awesome," Percy said. He took a quick turn to the left. "You two should make a pact never to fight again, you know." He was trying to be his normal pleasant self.

He heard Annabeth laugh a little. "We'll try, Percy," she said. "Oh…and Nico wanted me to tell you that you don't need to worry about him either."

_I'm afraid I can't do that Annabeth_ is what Percy wanted to reply. All he said though was "Oh, sure. Totally."

No one spoke for a moment. Annabeth sighed.

"So…bye Percy," Annabeth said. "See you on Monday."

"Yeah," Percy said. "See ya."

They hung up at the same time. Percy felt disconnected to Annabeth at the moment. Sure, he loved her. He really did. His mind just wasn't in a good place at the moment.

Percy, who was still walking, put his phone back in his pocket. He wasn't looking ahead anymore. He was lucky he didn't bash into anyone yet. People in front of him would not be able to see his face at once. His pockets were a little tight so it took a little longer than usual to put his phone back.

Percy's inattentive fumbling eventually caused him to bump somebody – and hard.

They both ended up on the ground. Percy was startled, to say the least.

The other person yelled. "Fuck. Watch where you're going, jackass." It was a very familiar voice. Percy, who was in a squat position, had his eyes closed and his hand on his head.

Once he opened his eyes, Percy became overjoyed by whom he saw. Well, overjoyed considering the situation.

"N-Nico?" Percy said, seeing the pale Italian boy who was in the same position he was in just moments ago – his eyes closed and his hand on his head.

Nico opened his eyes. He wore a look of a scared puppy – a scared puppy that was dyed red that is.

"Oh shit. P-Percy, I…I'm so sorry," he said, moving towards Percy. "Are you…are you hurt?" he asked, feeling the top of Percy's head to see if he was hurt anywhere. Nico was panicking.

Percy laughed. "Just a while ago, you were calling me a jackass, you know."

Nico put his delicate hands on the ground and bit his lip. Percy noticed how handsome Nico looked in his orange sweater and blue jeans. "I…I didn't mean it, Percy," the Italian said. He sounded serious. This just made Percy feel even giddier.

"Don't need to get all serious, Neeks" Percy said, sounding spirited. "C'mon. Help me up. People are staring."

Nico stood up stiffly and reached his left hand out for Percy. Percy grabbed it and started getting on his feet. Nico's hand felt warm. It felt really good to touch it.

Percy didn't let go of the other boy's hand even though he stood up already. His grip was quite hard. He hadn't really realized it actually.

"P-Percy? M-my h-hand…" Nico looked incredibly flustered. His left arm was fully stretched. It was like he was trying to move away from the taller boy.

Percy let go swiftly. "S-sorry," he said, placing his hand at the back of his head to scratch it. He laughed nervously.

_Oh shit_, Percy thought. _That must've been incredibly weird._

The two went to an unoccupied bench to sit. It was Nico that suggested it, surprisingly. They both limped a bit due to their little accident. Percy had his hands on the bench while Nico's hands clutched the part of his jeans located on his lap.

Awkward silence. Percy's been having a lot of those lately. Both boys looked down to the ground, unsure of what to say next. Percy used to be very versed in the art of conversation, but at the moment, he was stumped.

"W-what are you doing here?" Nico was first to speak. Percy faced the other boy, who still wouldn't look at him.

Percy needed to think of a good lie. He couldn't just say "I went here to talk to Thalia about you." That would be like suicide.

"I was gonna buy something," Percy said. "I can't seem to remember what it was though." Percy laughed like a nervous idiot. _Worst lie ever_, Percy thought. _Damn it._

A little smile appeared on Nico's face. Percy could've sworn that Nico muttered the word "idiot" to himself.

"What about you?" Percy asked.

Nico faced Percy. His soft yet haunting features held a happy expression. Percy tried his best not to redden at the sight of it.

"I was gonna buy the Oceanus figurine. I heard they had one in stock here," Nico said.

"Mythomagic?" Percy asked. Nico nodded.

"You do know Thalia's working there today, right?" Percy said, laughing a little.

Nico's mouth fell open. He turned away, his face tensing up again. His jet-black hair concealed his eyes. "Oh…Right…Her," he said. "Errr…I guess I won't be going there anymore…" Nervous laughter came out of his mouth.

Percy looked at Nico quizzically. "Why not?" he asked.

"D-don't want to," Nico replied. Percy smiled thoughtfully.

Percy suddenly remembered the events last night and decided to mention it to avoid it uncomfortably entering their conversation later. "You and Annabeth are fine now right?" he asked.

"Y-yeah," Nico said. He seemed affected by the question. Percy patted Nico on the back. "That's great," he said.

Awkward silence filled their atmosphere once again.

"So…" Percy started saying after a while. "What now?" he said.

"I…I guess I'm going home then," Nico said, standing up. Percy's mouth fell open. He wanted to tell the other boy not to leave.

"Come to my place!" Percy didn't know why he said that. It just came out. He said it so abruptly. It made Nico look at Percy. Shock registered in the Italian's face. "I…Well… If you want to… You could come if want to," Percy continued saying.

"I… Percy… Umm…"

"I'm not imposing or anything, I just thought –"

Nico interrupted Percy. "Yes. I wanna go. I'd love to go." Nico's words were like music to Percy's ears.

Percy smiled. This day was just about to get better.

"I guess we're going then."

* * *

><p>Percy felt like doing a dance all throughout their trip to his apartment.<p>

They took a cab, since his apartment building was a little far from the mall. Percy kept glancing at Nico, then out the window, and then back at Nico. The other boy sat as far away from Percy as possible. Percy kept asking Nico random questions like "What do you wanna do there?" "Why is your hair so black?" "Why is your face so red?" and "Why am I talking so much?" For answers, Percy heard a lot of "I don't know," "Genetics?" and more "I don't know."

Nico's hands were clutching his lap the whole time, and he was looking straight ahead – not at Percy. He looked tense. Percy tried to comfort him by repeatedly saying, "This is going to be fun, Neeks." Percy, however, also felt a little nervous.

When they arrived, Percy quickly paid the cab driver. He abruptly grabbed Nico's hand and pulled him out. Nico told him to let go, but Percy didn't acknowledge him. He was too excited.

Nico had never actually been to Percy's apartment. This fact just added to Percy's excitement and to Nico's anxiety.

Percy still held Nico's hand when he opened the door to the apartment. "Mom! I'm back!" he yelled, pulling Nico inside.

Sally was on their red sofa reading a book. When they entered the living room, Percy let go of Nico. "Mom," he said. "This is Nico. I've told you about him, right?" He sounded like an excited little kid.

"H-hi Mrs…Jackson," Nico said, nervous as ever.

Sally gave them a confused look before a smile appeared on her face. "It's Mrs. Blofis, Nico," she said. Nico tensed up, feeling embarrassed. "And it's very nice to meet you, finally."

"Right," Percy said. "Nico. Come on, I'll show you my room." He took Nico's hand again, and pulled him along.

"H-hey. P-Percy. Could you let go please?" Nico said. Percy still didn't acknowledge him. Percy was also too strong for Nico to break free from his hold.

"Here we are," Percy said, as they entered the room. "It's a little messy." Percy sighed.

They just stood there for a minute with their hands together. "P-P-Percy? My…my hand?" Nico said. It was only then that Percy realized what he'd been doing.

Percy let go. "Oh, shit" he said. "Sorry. Got a little carried away." Percy tried laughing it off.

The two boys fell silent.

Nico had his left hand on the opposite arm. He rubbed it, displaying his self-consciousness. He opened his mouth. He was about to say something but decided not to.

Percy spoke. "Wanna…sit?" he asked, gesturing towards the bed.

Nico looked at Percy, still with his mouth open. Percy examined the other boy's mouth. Its color was that of a cherry's. It was a bit wet, making it look slightly enticing. The sight of it stirred Percy up.

He didn't realize he was staring.

"P-Percy? What…what are you looking at?" Nico asked.

Percy shook his head, feeling startled. "N-nothing. Nothing, Nico" he said. "Umm… Let's…let's sit down, yeah?" Nico nodded.

They sat on the bed side by side, both seated in an Indian manner.

_What _was _that? _Percy thought. There was no denying it: he was turned on by Nico's mouth. It was beyond weird. He couldn't look at the other boy –until he spoke that is.

"Percy… Can I ask you something?" Nico said. His face was calm. He didn't have his usual tense and rosy expression anymore. He talked normally, in short.

Percy faced Nico. "What is it?" he asked. "I'll answer any question you ask" – it was a strange thing to say, but Percy meant it.

"Why are you so nice all the time?" Nico asked. Percy was taken aback by the question – happily taken aback though.

The brunette grinned. "I'm not _that_ nice," he said. Nico frowned. "Stop being so modest Percy," he said. "This is _exactly_ what I'm talking about. You're always so humble… I…I can't stand it." Nico leaned in, nestling his head on Percy's shoulder. Percy was the one to tense up this time.

Percy felt Nico breathe in like he was trying to smell the taller boy. It felt good.

Then suddenly, Nico moved away.

"Oh…fuck," he said. "S-sorry. That…that was weird," Nico blushed as he laughed nervously.

Percy smiled thoughtfully. "S'okay." Percy didn't know what meaning to give what Nico just did. Sure, it was weird, but it felt nice.

Percy sighed. "I haven't thought this through, have I?" he said. Nico gave him a questioning look. "I asked you to come here when we have _nothing_ to do or talk about." Percy laughed.

Nico chuckled. "Yeah…" he said. "But…well…Percy… I wanna apologize again."

_For what? _Percy thought.

"For…for the way I've been acting, and for…for last night."

The previous night hadn't even entered Percy mind. He didn't want to think about it anymore even though a Nico _was_ kind of the reason for the whole mess that transpired. Right now, Percy just wanted to have a good time with Nico.

"Didn't you get my text?" Percy said. "You've got nothing to be sorry about Nicky. Nothing."

"Just…just know that I'm sorry okay?" Nico said, being persistent.

"Like I said –"

Nico put a hand on Percy's mouth. "No. Don't say it, Percy. Please. Just…just shut up."

Percy smiled behind Nico's soft palm. Nico took his hand away stiffly.

"So… Do you have any games here…or something?" Nico said, sounding uneasy.

"Oh, yeah" Percy said. "_God_! Why didn't _I_ think of that?"

Nico snickered. "You're an idiot, that's why." They both laughed. The awkward air was gone for a moment.

"Let's go to the living room. The Play Station's there," Percy said. Nico nodded in agreement.

When they went into the living room, Sally wasn't there anymore. Percy found a note on their glass coffee table saying: "Went out for groceries. Have fun boys." Percy smiled at his mother's kind words.

Once they finished setting up Percy's Play Station 3 on his adequately sized television, Percy asked Nico what game he wanted to play. In the end, Nico picked Need for Speed Hot Pursuit.

Nico was pretty good actually, unlike the time they were playing at the arcade. He beat Percy a few times.

They played for about two hours. Sally hadn't even come home, weirdly. They didn't even notice it had been that long. They were having too much fun. Who plays Need for Speed for two straight hours, anyway?

"Can we stop for a second?" Nico asked. Percy was about to have them play another round until he said that.

"Yeah, sure" Percy said. "You wanna eat something? I think we have some Pringles…or some cereal! You want cereal? I get it for you. Or maybe you want something like noodles? I think we got some."

Nico shook his head. The two were sitting side by side on the carpeted floor right in front of the television. They had their backs against the coffee table.

"So…you wanted to ask something?" Percy said.

Nico nodded. "Yeah," he said. "But…but promise me first to _not_ tell Annabeth I'm saying this. She'll get angry with me for talking to you and not her. And…and don't tell her that I was here either."

"Of course, of course," Percy said. He knew it was wrong to keep secrets from his girlfriend, but he couldn't pass the chance to gain Nico's trust, which he had been pining for in the first place.

"Umm," Nico said. "Ok… So… Have you ever told Annabeth you loved her?"

_Weird question alert_. Why would Nico ask that? Was he trying to hint to Percy what he told Annabeth last night? Was this a confirmation of Percy's suspicion? Those questions and more entered Percy's mind.

"W-wait," Nico said. "Let me rephrase the question. Have you told _anyone_ at all you loved them? Aside…aside from your parents."

Percy opened his mouth. He wanted to say _I know about your feelings for Annabeth_, but decided against it. Instead, he just told Nico another 'truth.'

"Yeah Nico. I've told Annabeth I love her," he said. There were no strong feelings to his statement. Percy _had_ told Annabeth, once. It was two months ago, approximately.

Nico gave Percy a small smile. "Thought so," he said. "You guys are perfect."

Percy swallowed. Yeah, he and Annabeth _are_ perfect. Annabeth is perfect. She's smart. She's beautiful. She's nice. Any guy would be more than lucky to have her, but Percy didn't want to think about her right now. He wanted to bury himself in the boy that sat beside him. It was a scary feeling.

"I actually wanted to ask you something else, Percy" Nico said, making Percy look at the Italian questioningly.

"How…" Nico bowed his head. He looked sad suddenly. "How does it feel to be in love with her?"

"I…I don't know how to answer that Nico." He really didn't. What _did _he feel for Annabeth? Also, why the hell was Nico asking that?

"Do you…do you feel butterflies in your stomach every time you see her, Percy?" Nico started to say. He wouldn't look at Percy. It felt like there was a dark aura surrounding him. He looked despondent.

"Do you feel self-conscious every time she smiles at you Percy?" He paused again. "Don't you just want to spend everything _fucking_ minute with her?" Nico laughed. It was an odd laugh. It was skittish.

Percy's mouth fell open. "I…" He didn't know how to respond properly.

"Well?" Nico said, far from calm.

"Y-yeah…" Percy said. "I do." He couldn't just tell his girlfriend's best friend that he _didn't_ feel those things for Annabeth. It wouldn't be right. However, it seemed that Percy's theory had been confirmed. _Nico is probably saying these things out of jealousy,_ Percy thought.

Nico bowed his head once again. Tears started to roll down his eyes. Seeing it happen made Percy want to cry as well.

"Oh… Oh shit," Nico said, rubbing his eyes with his arm. He looked at his watch swiftly. "Oh, look at the time. I…I better go." He stood up rapidly, and started heading for the door.

"N-Nico. Wait!" Percy said, going after him. "You don't need to leave, Nico." The two boys stood face to face by the doorway. Nico held the doorknob.

"Actually, I really do Percy." Nico's eyes were red. "I… I just can't stay here anymore. I can't…I can't…" He paused. "Please…don't…don't tell Annabeth about this… I'll tell her myself. It'll… it'll be better coming from me."

Percy didn't say anything. He couldn't.

Percy just let the other boy leave his apartment without another word.

People really had the habit of leaving Percy confused. Rachel, Thalia, and Annabeth had done it. Nico had just recently done it.

_More puzzles,_ Percy thought. _What a load of shit._

Percy sat on his sofa, feeling incredibly dejected. He didn't even care to go think about what Rachel and Thalia had said before. The things Nico just said were confirmation enough.

_ Nico loves Annabeth. _Percy repeated those words over and over in his head.

It was not that that trouble Percy the most, though. Percy had realized something else. _Something big_. It had actually been going in and out of his mind the entire day.

He realized why he cared so much about Nico. He realized why he cared so much about knowing what was going in the other boy's head. He realized why his heart beat chaotically right now just thinking about him.

It was obvious to him now.

However, Percy was not at all ready to say it out loud – not to himself, not to anyone.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I hope I didn't make you want to quit reading my story. XD<strong>

**~ LC The Brave**

**P.S. I've already started writing the 4th chapter, so expect it in a few days. =)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I wanted to update fast, so I did! Haha. I have no life.**

**Guys, all your reviews make my day. They're a massive source of drive and inspiration. So I thank you all. =)**

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairings: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO), slight Percabeth

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a little OOC. Sorry for random grammatical errors that are sure to appear!

* * *

><p><strong>Skinny Love<strong>

**Chapter 4**

Each drop of the freezing cold shower water on Percy's skin felt like an allusion to his state of melancholy and regret.

Percy closed his eyes and breathed in. He remembered the tears that fell down from a certain deathly pale boy's eyes when he was in the apartment six days ago. They were having a great time, until _that_ happened.

Percy wanted to think that things would get better. He just wanted to be able to look at Nico, and see him as nothing more than a really good friend. He just wanted to see Annabeth, and not feel like he had betrayed her some way.

Fate made it perfectly clear though that it didn't want Percy to feel spirited any time soon.

* * *

><p>Monday.<p>

Nico di Angelo and Annabeth Chase just can't give Percy Jackson a break. He already spent the whole Sunday thinking, and they were _still_ making him do it.

The way they acted just wasn't right. It wasn't right that Annabeth was explaining to Nico something about the Math lesson that Nico didn't get. It wasn't right that Nico ate his peas looking sullen while avoiding Percy's eyes. It wasn't right that they were sitting at their usual lunch table minding their own business while a few people snuck looks at them, admiring the three beautiful people sitting there.

It just wasn't right that everyone was acting normal. Well, at least Percy thought it wasn't – not after everything that happened.

Yes, Nico and Annabeth just couldn't give Percy a break from all the riddles.

However, Percy knew better than to tell them to "cut the crap," because he himself had something he didn't want to voice out.

Looking at Nico right now was torture for Percy. Seeing his hands just makes Percy want to grab them. Seeing his lips makes Percy want to kiss them. Nico's whole being was beyond mesmerizing to Percy.

Percy knew of course what this meant. He just didn't want to simplify it – to summarize it in three plain and simple words. His brain refused to do so. Part of the reason, naturally, was Annabeth.

Annabeth – the blonde beauty that Percy loved so much. It just wasn't clear to him right now what the nature of his love for her was at the moment.

_ I'm doomed,_ Percy thought.

He couldn't possibly continue having a normal relationship with Annabeth when he has feelings for her best friend. Also, Percy is under the impression that entering a relationship with Nico is _impossible_. For starters, Percy assumed that Nico would never even think of liking another guy. Then of course, there's the dilemma of his _love_ for Annabeth.

"Do you get it now, Nico?" Annabeth said, finishing her little tutorial session.

"Ummm, yeah I do," Nico said, examining the notes Annabeth made for him. Nico sat across from Percy and Annabeth. His habit of sitting in between the couple had been gone for a while – ever since his day out with Percy.

Percy, though very much troubled by the façade, took active part in it. He had an arm around Annabeth's shoulders and he was listening attentively to what she was saying. He was also fondly admiring Nico's little reactions to everything. It was like any other day.

And it continued being that way for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

><p>Tuesday.<p>

Percy just wanted his Literature class to be over with so he could go home.

They were discussing Anna Karenina. It was horrible, Percy thought. It wasn't horrible in the sense that Leo Tolstoy was horrible writer, because it would be complete crazy talk to say that. It was horrible in the sense that Percy didn't want to hear about external affairs, betrayals, hypocrisy and all that jazz. He did _not_ want to think about committing suicide either. It upset him to know that love could do that to you – that it could ruin your life.

This wasn't something the ever-happy and ever-positive Percy wanted to have imprinted in his brain.

Percy, Nico and Annabeth were still in "everything's normal" mode. Percy decided that it could be for the best that it continued to be that way. He figured that trying to put things back the way they were would lessen his "emotional turmoil."

However, a part of Percy knew that things couldn't possibly go back to normal. Not when Nico's every move caused Percy's heart to go in knots. He didn't want to break up with Annabeth either. He loved her. Every kiss they shared still meant something to Percy.

Then, the bell rang.

* * *

><p>Wednesday.<p>

Lunchtime was peculiar during this cold November day. Rachel Elizabeth Dare made it that way.

"Hello, friends", she said, as she sat by their lunch table beside Nico along with her lunch tray. "Mind if I join you guys today?"

Percy, Nico and Annabeth all looked at Rachel with an eyebrow raised. Annabeth was first to speak. "Why?" she asked. Rachel usually ate with her friends from the art club, so this really was a strange occurrence.

The redheaded girl, looking smug, put two pieces of cheese fries in her mouth. "No reason," she said, after gulping her food in. She obviously _had_ a reason. Percy had a gut feeling that this had something to do with Nico.

"So how have things been with you guys?" Rachel asked. _This_ was her reason: to check in on them.

"Fine, Rachel," Percy said, feigning a smile. "Everything's fine and dandy."

"Yeah, Rachel. Why would it be any different from before?" Annabeth said. She was clearly committed to this act they were playing. Rachel pursed her lips.

Nico didn't say a word. Rachel faced him and said: "Nico. What about you?" Nico, with his mouth half-open, looked at Rachel with a flustered expression.

"Fine… Everything's…fine. Y-yeah. Like they said. Yeah." Nico, evidently, was _not_ good at acting. His usual peas and carrots looked like they were ravaged by his fork.

Rachel sighed. "Really? Everything's fine?" she said. She eyed each one of them suspiciously. "You guys haven't talked about what happened that night, have you?'

Percy gulped. Nico bowed his head. Annabeth said: "Sure we have." She sounded defiant. "And we decided we weren't gonna make it a big deal, Rachel, and we're not about to make it one."

"It really wasn't a big deal that Nico stormed out of the party that night after you guys talked? Really?" Rachel said.

"I… We already fixed things, Rachel," Annabeth said. "He doesn't want pity – not that I thought I was giving that to him, but I…" She paused, turning to Percy. _Wait…what?_ Percy thought. His eyebrows wrinkled.

"Oh shit," she continued, bowing her head. "We can't talk about this right now, Rachel. Not when –"

"I don't think this is a healthy way of dealing with it, Annabeth," Rachel said, her eyes filled with concern. She turned to Nico. "Is this really the way you want to deal with this, Nico? You're really not going to tell him?" She turned to Percy. "And you, Perce. You _really _haven't realized anything, hm? This is pathetic, guys."

They fell silent. They were all just running away from their problems. This _was_ pathetic. Percy knew this, but didn't do anything about it. Nico's open mouth and reddening skin didn't help with the situation either – although Percy was aware that this wasn't the right time to think about that.

"I…I don't think you should eat with us, Rachel," Nico said. Hearing that come out of his mouth was the weirdest thing for Percy.

Rachel sighed again. "Fine," she said, getting on her feet and taking her lunch with her. "I'm still not on board with this guys. Someone's bound to get hurt." Her eyes darted to Nico.

Percy's head began to twist and turn. Something new to think about had just surfaced. '_He doesn't want pity_,' Annabeth said. That, evidently, had something to do with Nico storming out that time in a fit of anger.

'_You're really not going to tell him?' _was what Rachel said to Nico. Percy's conclusion of course was that this had something to do with Nico loving Annabeth. It came together, in Percy's mind. It also got him a little angry – not with Nico, but with himself. He was angry with himself for having feelings for someone who couldn't possibly return those feelings.

"Let's just try to have a normal lunch, guys," Percy said. Pathetic as this whole façade was, it was still better than adding more drama to their situation. It was also a good way for Percy to steer away the possibility of having more things to think about.

Nico and Annabeth showed their agreement to Percy's request by eating their meals in mild silence. Small talk was shared, but serious, thought-provoking talks were not initiated.

The rest of the day was spent like that – completely and utterly "normal."

* * *

><p>Thursday.<p>

School was over. It was spent in uninterrupted normalcy. The only thing _not_ normal about this day was the fact Percy was currently sitting in the Moondance Diner near his school drinking a cup of hot chocolate while waiting for Nico di Angelo.

Nico sent a text message to Percy earlier that morning that said: 'meet me at Moondance after school. No questions. Don't tell Annabeth.' It was beyond weird. Percy also thought that the way the message was written didn't really sound like Nico.

Percy had followed what the message said though. He didn't ask Nico why when they saw each other at school. He didn't tell Annabeth, either. Percy had also rushed to the Moondance Diner when his History class ended. He didn't take that class with Annabeth, so it was easy to avoid bumping into her.

_Nico's taking way too long,_ Percy thought. He had already spent an hour waiting. He wondered if Nico was coming at all. Every time someone entered the diner, Percy would look over to see whether it was Nico. Percy sat beside a large transparent window, so he could see all the cars that rushed through the road. Percy looked over there to watch all the people passing by – to see if Nico would pass of course.

Then, someone catches Percy's eye.

Entering the diner was a thin girl of average height who had silky, jet-black hair and black eyes that screamed death. Her skin was white, but not to the extent of paleness. She wore a white blouse and a black skirt. She had the type of allure that Percy liked. He felt drawn to her, but only because she reminded him of a certain someone.

To Percy's surprise, the girl approached his table.

"Percy Jackson?" she said. Percy, whose eyes blinked in confusion, flashed a bemused look. "Yeah. That's…that's me," he said.

The girl eyed Percy like she was sizing him up. She sat across from Percy, not asking for permission and all. Her eyes looked at Percy as if he was a pest that should be exterminated.

"Umm," Percy said. "Who _are_ you?"

"Oh, right," she said, dryly. "I'm Bianca. Bianca di Angelo. Nico's sister. You know Nico, of course."

Percy's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "Were you…were _you _the one who sent me a text?" he asked. Bianca chuckled.

"He shouldn't just leave his cell phone around," she said, shrugging. "I mean, did he expect me _not_ to use it to meet with you?" Her black eyes stared into Percy's.

Percy shook his head, signaling his bemusement. Bianca sighed. "Look," she said. "I wouldn't usually do this. I wouldn't talk to anyone at all if I could help it, but I care about my brother."

Percy was still very confused. "What's wrong with Nico? And… Why did you want to meet _me_?"

Bianca raised an eyebrow. "Really? By the way he said he acted around you, I thought you would've realized already."

"I…I don't get it," Percy said.

Bianca pursed her lips. "Trust me, I don't get it either. Why would he…" She examined Percy's features. "Hmm… I guess you're okay. But –"

Bianca was cut off by a sudden yell that came from the across the diner.

"Bianca!" A fuming Nico di Angelo briskly walked towards their table. A number of people from different tables turned towards the boy's direction. He still wore the brown sweater and black pants he had on at school.

Percy froze and stared at the figure that started grabbing Bianca's arm, pulling her away from the table.

"Ouch! Nico, stop it!" Bianca exclaimed. Once Nico got her to stand up, he turned to Percy and said: "Percy. Sorry about her. Don't believe anything she told you. I'll explain later."

Nico tugged Bianca's sleeve. "I can't believe you did this Bianca – and _way _to be sly about it. Did you really think I wouldn't come here when you left a note on the fridge saying 'Went to Moondance to meet with Percy'? What the fuck!"

Nico bowed his head, face flushing. He turned to Percy. "Sorry, Perce."

The whole spectacle was ended with Nico grabbing Bianca's arm and pulling her out of the diner. There were protests from the girl, but Nico's anger dominated in the end.

Dominating in Percy's neck of the woods was a total state perplexity. He couldn't even come up with the right words in his head to describe what he thought about the whole situation. There was, yet again, a person who thought Percy was oblivious. Percy thought he knew what was going on though. To him, this all had something to do with his theory about Nico. What confused him was how all the events came about.

_Shit_, Percy wanted to yell out. He knew he was doomed. He knew his feelings for Nico were bound to lead to some deep _shit_.

* * *

><p>Friday.<p>

Percy, Annabeth and Nico walked slowly through the hall, heading for their next class, in their typical arrangement. Annabeth was between the two boys. Her hand held Percy's tightly. It all looked normal except for the fact that Nico was giving a panicked explanation for the whole diner incident that transpired the previous day. His head kept on turning from Percy to the hallway. His uneasiness was evident.

"B-Bianca's just _really_ curious about my…my friends. She knows Annabeth, of course, but she hasn't met _you_. So…yeah, she wanted to meet you and stuff…because I've mentioned you to her and…stuff… Right, Annabeth? Bianca's always done stuff like this, right?" Nico talked in a very fast paced tempo. Percy wasn't at all convinced by the story, but he didn't want to upset the boy, whom he had massive adoration for, by telling him his story should be put in the book of bad explanations.

Annabeth couldn't help letting out a chuckle. "Percy believes you, Nico. Right, Perce?" she said, turning to Percy. The tall boy nodded and flashed an endearing expression.

Nico's face turned bright red. He looked away to avoid staring at Percy. Percy's face held a puzzled look. Noticing all this, Annabeth created another topic for conversation.

"Percy. Can I come by later?" she said.

"Oh, yeah. Sure," Percy said.

"Nico, you'll come right?" Annabeth said, turning to the still flustered boy.

"I… No… I can't," he said.

"What? Why?" Annabeth said, whining. Percy wanted to ask too, but it would be a little suspicious if he did.

"My…my dad wants me to help with this…this thing," he said. This was the first time Nico mentioned his dad when Percy was around. Percy didn't think much of it though.

Annabeth sighed. "I guess it's just me and Percy then."

"Guess so," Percy said, giving the other two a thoughtful smile, which was returned by Annabeth but was cause for another blush from Nico.

* * *

><p>Lunch with Grover, Travis and Connor was…weird, per se.<p>

Percy hadn't actually talked to them much since the party, aside from a few texts here and there, so Travis and Connor chattered on to Percy about their "exploits" from that night.

Grover explained why the Park Avenue girls were with him. Apparently, he had told them about the party earlier and Juniper insisted that they "should totally come." Grover, being a total smitten kitten, let them. It actually turned out good, because Grover got Juniper's real number. Percy congratulated Grover upon hearing this.

"I actually went out with Juniper last Saturday. It was fun. We went to the mall and stuff. For a rich girl, she's…pretty simple actually," Grover said, segueing to a new topic.

"I wish I had a girlfriend," Travis said. "Me too," Connor added. Grover and Percy laughed.

"Hey Grover," Travis continued. "Why don't you set me up with that other girl? You know, the pretty one."

"They're all pretty, _bro_," Connor said. "I think the girl Travis is talking about is that Silena girl."

"Yeah, yeah. That's the one!" Travis said, looking excited.

"Silena? No, no, no," Grover said, making Travis pout. "Beckendorf hooked up with her."

"What about Zoe?" Connor said. Apparently, he _also_ wanted to be set up.

"Seriously? Zoe?" Grover said. "Dude, do you _want _early death?"

"Thalia then," Travis said.

Percy chuckled. _She'd probably get him involved in some weird mind game,_ he thought.

"I…I don't think so, dude," Grover said.

This went on for a while. It was only when Grover asked Percy something that the subject took a complete turn.

"How are things with Annabeth?" Grover asked, making Percy gulp.

"F-fine." Percy stuttered. The other three looked at him, all with an eyebrow raised.

"Really, Percy? Really?" Grover said. "Because your face says otherwise."

"I said it's fine guys," Percy said, flashing a bogus smile. "It really is." Thinking about it, there wasn't anything wrong with Annabeth. It was Percy that was having problems. At least that's what Percy thought.

The other boys were persistent. "C'mon Perce," Connor said. "You can tell us anything," Travis added.

Grover gave Percy a concerned look. "Perce. Tell us."

Percy was thinking of what to say. His mouth was open but not one word would come out.

"Is this about Nico?" Travis said, sending a shocked expression to Percy's face.

"Yeah. Doesn't he have a crush on you or something?" Connor said.

"What?" Percy said. "No. What? Of course not. _Impossible_." _Nico loves Annabeth for God's sake._

"Yeah, Percy. _Doesn't _he have a crush on you? I mean, sure looks like it," Grover said.

_What the hell are these guys going on about?_ Percy thought all of it was absurd. A world where Nico liked him seemed to idealistic for Percy – too good, so to speak. It was a far-fetched notion.

"God, guys. He doesn't, okay? He…he loves _Annabeth._" It was the first time he ever said that out loud.

The other boys looked unbelieving. "So…you're stressing over _that_?" Connor said.

"Does Annabeth know?" Grover asked.

"Y-yeah," Percy said. In Percy's brain, that was the truth.

"Has it been affecting your relationship?"

"Well… Not really," Percy said. Nico having feelings for Annabeth wasn't the thing affecting their relationship. It was Percy's feelings for Nico that was affecting it – sort of.

"Then you have nothing to worry about, man," Grover said, patting Percy on the back and giving him a comforting look. Travis and Connor gave their best attempts at comforting looks. It meant a lot to Percy that his friends were looking out for him.

However, Percy could only hope that Grover's kind words would prove to be true.

* * *

><p>That night, Percy and Annabeth were alone in the apartment.<p>

Sally and Paul were attending a dinner party with Paul's co-professors at NYU. There was no one else in the house but the young couple.

Percy and Annabeth sat face to face in Indian seat positions on Percy's bed. Percy had changed his sheets earlier. They now had bubble prints. Percy actually had a strange fondness for water-themed aesthetics.

Annabeth was blabbing about how much she loved their European History teacher, Mr. Brunner. They were discussing the Ancient Greeks a while ago. Annabeth was very fascinated with the Greek architecture they tackled and the meanings behind them. She was pretty much a geek when it came to that.

Percy listened intently. He listened as Annabeth talked about the Parthenon and how Athena was her favorite goddess. Percy wore a smile on his face. He liked how Annabeth was passionate about her studies.

What troubled Percy's mind at the moment was how he still couldn't get Nico out of his head. He wondered if Nico liked it when Annabeth chattered on and on about school. He also couldn't help comparing the way Annabeth talked about studies to the way Nico talked about Mythomagic. He then thought about how beautiful Annabeth was, while comparing _that_ beauty to Nico's.

Something else was racking Percy's brain too. It was something that made him feel like he was _really_ betraying Annabeth.

Percy didn't feel any sexual attraction towards his girlfriend. He didn't find her enticing. He remembered how he just looked at Nico's mouth and his insides began to go in knots. With Annabeth, Percy felt nothing of the sort. He felt connected to Annabeth _and _Nico, but he was beginning to question how deep his connection really was with the former. Nico mesmerized him in every way possible. His body, his mind and his heart stirred up whenever he saw the boy. Annabeth was mesmerizing as well, but the extent was indeed uncertain.

"Percy?" Annabeth said, making Percy look at her more attentively. She seemed ready to stop talking about the Ancient Greeks. "Can I ask you something?" she added.

"Sure," Percy said, nodding and flashing his best thoughtful smile.

"You love me, right?"

_Oh no._ This was a question Percy wasn't ready to answer right now – not when he still had to come to terms with his feelings. However, he wasn't about to hurt Annabeth. He would never want to do that. Percy just said what he felt what was right to say.

"Yeah. I love you, Annabeth. I really do." It didn't matter that there was truth to what Percy said – he still felt like a big fat _liar_.

Annabeth smiled. She hugged Percy tightly. "Me too, Seaweed Brain," she said.

Annabeth broke their embrace. She looked into Percy's eyes. She had a loving expression on her face. Percy didn't know what she was about to do, but he felt like she was going to do something _big_.

And she did.

She began to kiss Percy. It wasn't just your regular kiss though – it was very much impassioned.

She went on Percy's lap, continuing her feverous attack on Percy's lips. Percy kissed back with contrived fervor.

It didn't feel right. Nothing felt right.

Annabeth slipped a hand underneath Percy's shirt. Her touch wasn't how Percy wanted it to be. It wasn't electric. He didn't have the urge to reciprocate.

Percy took off his shirt, and Annabeth took off hers. Still no spark.

Percy's heart felt an incredible sense of wrongness – not the type that would turn you on. He continued to kiss her. He wanted to stop, but he was afraid he'd upset her.

Annabeth started moving stiffly. Something told Percy that she didn't feel right either, but neither of them was stopping.

Percy wanted to speak. He tried to think of a word in his head that would be appropriate for the situation, but somehow, his whole vocabulary faded and he could only remember one name: Nico.

_Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico_. Percy felt like he was betraying Nico. It troubled him very much. He should be feeling guilt towards Annabeth, not the outrageously mesmerizing, haunting, spellbinding, bewildering, and beautiful boy who was Annabeth's closest friend, and had feelings for her to boot.

However, relief rushed through Percy once Annabeth did something to stop what was happening.

Annabeth placed both of her hands on Percy's chest, but instead of having them slide down Percy's body, Annabeth used her hands to push Percy away from her. She covered her mouth with her hands. Tears started to roll down her eyes.

"I… I'm sorry, Percy. I thought I wanted this but… We can't… We can't do this Percy!" She sounded grief-stricken. "Not when… No, we…just can't. I… I…"

"It's okay, Annabeth. It's fine. I understand. You're not ready." Percy tried his best to pretend to have wanted what was happening and to understand Annabeth's behavior.

"No, no, no Percy. It's not that. No! I…" She stood up, taking her shirt and putting it back on. She looked at Percy with a painfully sad expression. "I don't think we should see each other anymore."

This was another thing Percy wasn't ready for: a break up.

"W-what?" Percy said. His voice was soft due to lack of mental strength.

"I'm sorry Percy. I just can't do this to him." She shook her head, tears still pouring down from her stormy gray eyes. "I can't… I'm sorry. I love you Percy, but I…I can't."

She rushed out of the room and then out of the apartment. Percy didn't even attempt to run after her. He felt tired. He felt weak. He felt guilty. He felt…relief.

Percy felt relief.

_I just can't do this to him_ was what she said.

_She must be talking about Nico,_ Percy thought. _I guess this is his chance. They can be together now._

Percy tried to smile. He wanted to feel happy for them, but as he attempted to do so, he achieved the opposite.

Tears. An overwhelming amount of tears. His eyes were tightly shut. He collapsed on his bed.

He blamed himself for getting to close. He blamed himself for letting himself get sucked in. He blamed himself for everything turning to shit. It was the worst feeling.

_Nico_. _I…I…I think I…_ Percy still couldn't get the words out. It was unthinkable. It was impossible. He just couldn't do it.

* * *

><p>Each drop of the freezing cold shower water on Percy's skin felt like an allusion to his state of melancholy and regret.<p>

Percy finished up his shower. It didn't make him feel any better, really. His tears were gone, but his grief wasn't.

Percy wiped himself up and then put a towel around his waist. He walked back to his room.

Laziness prompted Percy to just get the first clothes he saw from his dresser: a white shirt and red gym shorts.

Percy was about to get ready for bed. He sat on his bed for a while first. He tried thinking of happy thoughts. He tried singing that song from the Sound of Music from himself. _Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens_. It didn't make him feel any better.

It was just when Percy was about to scream to the heavens to express his emotions that the doorbell rang.

Percy sighed. He headed out of his room to go check who it was.

"Who is it?" he said against the speaker.

Percy heard panting. Then, he heard a voice. It wasn't clear yet what the voice was saying.

"P-P-Percy. It's…It's N…N…"

Percy realized who it was. "Nico! Is that you? Oh shit. Wait there. I'm coming down."

"Wait you don't nee—" Percy didn't let him continue. He just grabbed the key to the apartment and rushed out.

_Nico, Nico, Nico, Nico_ was all Percy could think. He didn't heck know why Nico was there, but he didn't care to think of a reason. All that mattered was that he was there, and Percy could see him.

Outside the building, Percy saw a tired-looking pale boy who he would never mistake for anyone else. It was dark and there were only a few cars passing by. Percy rushed to the other boy.

"Nico!" he yelled, running to the Italian boy. The dramatic way in which he said it didn't faze him.

Nico turned around. "P-Percy!" he said. Percy stood in front of him. The taller boy's expression was that of happiness and exhaustion. Nico spoke. "I… I'm sorry. Annabeth shouldn't have broken up with you. It was stupid. And it's all because of me."

"Why did you come here, Nico? You really didn't have to." Percy said this even though his heart was full joy.

"I… I needed to apologize…and…I wanted to do it in person," Nico said. His face began to flush. "You must think I'm stupid." The Italian boy bowed his head and started laughing anxiously.

"No, no. I don't think you're stupid at all. Never, Nico. Never." Percy wanted the other boy to look up so he could stare into the brown eyes he became so infatuated with. It drove Percy crazy that he couldn't just pull Nico into an embrace and kiss him until nothing else mattered.

"Percy… You really don't have to be so nice…"

"I really do, Nico. I…really do."

Silence. No one talked for a minute. It wasn't awkward. It felt like they needed that silence to come up with the right words to say to each other. Both boys wanted to tell the other something, but couldn't.

Nico started to speak in a very fast-paced tempo. "Percy. I… I think I should tell you this now, because you deserve to know after all the shit that's been happening. I should've told you a long time ago but I thought you would hate me for it…but…I… I just wanted you to know that I… I…" Nico turned rosy pink and breathed heavily.

Percy couldn't take the suspense. He wanted to shake the words out of Nico.

"I…I…I…I…Percy, I lo—"

"Percy! Nico! Why are you boys down here?"

_Shit. It's mom._ Sally and Paul emerged wearing their formal attire. _This is such a bad time_, Percy thought.

"Hey there, kid," Paul said.

"M-mom. P-Paul. Hey. I…I thought you guys weren't coming home till around midnight?"

"We left early," Sally said, dryly. "And I'm _really _tired."

"Plus, I just can't wait to get out of this damn suit," Paul said. Percy couldn't even feign a laugh.

The couple approached the door to the building. "You guys coming up?" Sally said, smiling. "I'll make some hot chocolate."

Percy turned to Nico who had his head bowed. He looked back to his parents. "N-no thanks mom. I…I'll be up in a second. You guys go ahead."

"Ok then," Sally said, entering the building.

When Percy was sure they were gone, he began to speak again. "What were you gonna tell me, Neeks?"

Nico's face was still rosy. "I… Well… Now that I think about it… It's not really that important you know." Nico laughed nervously. "I…I better go, Percy. See you… Monday, I guess."

Just when Nico was about to turn around, Percy grabbed the Italian boy's arm. Nico turned to him with a shocked expression. "Wait… I…" He didn't really know what was appropriate to say. "I… Well… Yeah, see you."

Nico nodded. Then, he walked away. Percy watched him do so until he faded in the darkness like a shadow traveler.

Percy now had to face the facts.

"I love him," Percy said to himself. "I love Nico. _I love him_." It was at that moment that Percy was finally able to simplify his feelings.

_I love him_.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I know a lot of people might hate the ending (for <em>a lot<em> of reasons). Hahaha, but I just _had_ to make this happen.**

**~ LC the Brave**

**PS. Chapter 5 in...a week? Or maybe three days. Depends on the amount of schoolwork I have. =)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Back with a new chapter! Woohoo! My chapters keep on getting longer and longer for some reason. Lol.**

**I had some trouble with this chapter. I tried to fix whatever seemed _off_, but I'm not really sure I did an adequate job with that.**

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairings: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO), slight Percabeth

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a little OOC. Sorry for random grammatical errors that are sure to appear!

* * *

><p><strong>Skinny Love<strong>

**Chapter 5**

In hindsight, listening to Lady Antebellum's Need You Now over and over again on his iPod wasn't Percy's best idea of the night.

He couldn't sleep. When he headed back up after the whole fiasco with Nico, Percy switched to being a sad idiot again. He felt stupid for being hopelessly in love with someone who, he assumed, couldn't possibly be his. Sure, it was great that Nico went all the way to Percy's apartment building just to apologize, but Percy thought it was stupid to even think that there was more meaning to it.

Percy had already told Sally and Paul what happened with Annabeth. They were very comforting, but what Percy really wanted was just to be alone.

The obnoxiously large headphones Percy wore gave him the mental isolation he so wanted from the world. He played a Band of Horses' song next – No One's Gonna Love You. He felt like he could have easily written it.

"_But_ _no one's gonna love you more than I dooooo. No one's gonna love you more than I do." _Percy sang to himself really badly but very sincerely. One thought that was looming Percy's mind as he belted out the lyrics to the love song was how Nico and Annabeth could _finally_ be together. _Annabeth would be crazy not to love him_, Percy thought. He knew they would be an amazing couple since they were both amazing people. They both deserved a lifetime of happiness. Percy, though, was immensely jealous.

"_It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now."_ Percy played Need You Now again – for the umpteenth time. This beautifully written song about loneliness really didn't do Percy any favors, but it just encompassed too much of what he was feeling. He just couldn't _not_ listen to it.

Percy didn't know how he could face anyone right now. He wished he could continue listening to all the love songs in his iPod for the rest of his life. He didn't want to go to school. He didn't want to be tortured by the sight of the amazing boy he was in love with.

_It'll get better_, Percy thought. How could it possibly get any worse? This must be the lowest he could go, so there was no way but _up_. He just needed to find a way to get there.

_No way but up_. _No way but up._ Percy just kept telling himself that. His naturally positive spirit wouldn't allow him to do otherwise.

_No way but up._

* * *

><p>A phone started ringing.<p>

Percy woke up with a start. His phone was on his bed. He fumbled through the sheets. The phone stopped ringing for a second, but it started ringing again in a moment's time. Percy finally found it trapped under his rear.

"He...hello?" Percy sounded like any normal person who had just woken up.

"Percy!" It was a girl's voice. "Took you long enough to answer."

It took Percy a while to tell who it was, but after she said some things that Percy didn't really understand, he realized it was Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

"Rachel?" he said, still in the just-woke-up state.

"Yeah. It's me. Rachel. You just realized?" she said. "Just answer my question Percy."

Percy didn't know what she was talking about. "Could you repeat the question please?" Percy sat up and rubbed his eyes. He checked his wall clock. It was 10AM. He was only able to sleep a couple of hours ago.

Rachel sighed. "I _said,_ what the _hell_ happened last night? Nico called me last night. I thought someone was dying you know. He sounded all panicky and out of breath."

"How would _I _know, Rachel?" Percy didn't want to tell her about everything. He wasn't in the mood.

"Don't pull that shit with me, Percy Jackson. I know you know something. Your name was the only thing I understood when Nico called. So yeah, I'm _pretty_ sure you know something."

What was Percy supposed to tell her? He didn't even really understand what happened either.

"Annabeth and I broke up," Percy said, matter-of-factly. Saying it aloud was actually easier than he thought.

"W-wait. Really? You serious?" Rachel said, unconvinced.

"Yes I'm serious, and I'm not in the mood to talk right now. Okay, Rachel?" Percy was about to hang up.

"Wait! That still doesn't explain why Nico was all panicky," Rachel said.

Percy sighed. _Nico's _always _panicky_, he thought.

"He came over yesterday. To apologize. He thinks it's his fault, which it definitely isn't." Percy ended up telling her everything.

"Are you _sure_ that's it?" she said.

Percy thought for a second. There _was_ one last thing that happened. Nico was about to tell him something, but then his parents arrived. _I think I should tell you this now, because you deserve to know after all the shit that's been happening_ was what he said. _It's not really that important you know_, he also said. It didn't really match.

"Percy? Hey! You still there?"

"Oh. Yeah. Right. Nico was gonna tell me something too. He said something like 'I should've told you a long time ago,' but my parents got back before he could say anything else." Percy said. "I don't think it was that important though. He said so himself."

"_What do you mean it's not that important?" _Her voice got loud and squeaky. "Oh my God, Percy. I know what this is. I gotta call Nico. Bye!" Rachel hung up.

_What. The. Hell?_ People really weren't telling Percy a thing. Was he just supposed to know? Was it really that obvious?

_Fuck it, _Percy thought.

He was going to grab a pillow and throw it hard on the floor. His phone, though, stopped him from doing that.

_Ring, ring_. Someone was calling again. Percy checked. It was an unknown number.

"Hello?" he said.

"Oh. Wow. I guess I copied the number right. Percy! It's me, Bianca."

"B-Bianca? Di Angelo? _Nico's_ sister?" Percy couldn't believe it.

"Yup, yup – the one and only," she said. Percy waited for her to say something else, but she didn't.

"Umm," Percy started saying. "Why… Why are you calling?"

"Oh yeah. Silly me," she said. "I wanna meet with you again. Our first meeting was way too short."

"I…Umm…Sure?" Percy said, not really sure what Bianca's agenda was. "Where…exactly?"

"Here," she said, as if the whole world knew where she was.

"Where's here?" Percy said. He was amused by how vague Bianca was all the time. She shared that trait with Nico, sort of.

"My apartment," she said, plainly.

"Y-your apartment? As in, the di Angelo apartment? Where…where _Nico_ lives?" Percy couldn't believe he was getting an invite to go into _Nico's_ apartment. "I don't think that's a good idea, Bianca. Nico…Nico might get mad." The sight of Nico rushing through the diner the other day was still very vivid to Percy.

"No need to worry about that," Bianca said. "He went out with daddy."

Percy gulped. The offer was so tempting. "W-what about your mom?" he said.

"Oh, our step-mom's out with some friends. She'll be gone for a while."

_Nico has a _step_-mom?_ Percy never knew that.

"So…are you coming or what?" Bianca said.

"I…Umm…I" _Should I say yes? Shit, shit, shit._ Percy was panicking a little.

"I'll take _that_ as a yes," Bianca said. Percy didn't argue. "Get a pen. I'll give you the address."

Percy stood up and rushed to his study table. He took the first pen he saw and ripped a page from a notebook.

Bianca gave him the address. Percy's handwriting was comparable to that of a toddler's. He was shaking the whole time he wrote because of sheer excitement. _I'm such a creep_, Percy thought.

"Got it?" Bianca said.

"Y-yeah," Percy replied.

"Ok. Bye then." Bianca hung up just like that.

Percy looked at the address and grinned. _This is Nico's address_. He felt like a desperate stalker, but at the same time, he felt like he had just found the missing link.

_I'm going to Nico's apartment._ Percy wanted to flail, but the part of him that still had _some _machismo stopped him from doing so.

"Mom!" Percy yelled. "I'm going out!"

* * *

><p>Scared. Nervous. Excited. Giddy. All were emotions Percy felt when he knocked on the door of the di Angelo apartment. He wore a red button-up shirt and black pants. He wanted to look nice for this "occasion."<p>

"Are you sure this is okay, Bianca?" he asked while Bianca led him to their living room. The di Angelos, apparently, were pretty well off. The apartment was very spacious. The walls were brown. A lot of their furniture in the living room was black from the couches to the coffee table to the houseplant container. The couches were arranged in a U shape around the coffee table and a plasma screen TV. They also had a black bookshelf with a bunch of hardbound books stored in it. The doors to the bedrooms were gray like gravestones. Their kitchen, on the other hand, was all white. The counters looked shiny and spotless. The stoves were obviously expensive.

"Of course," Bianca said. She wore a black t-shirt with a skull and dark blue jeans. "Oh don't sit there –" Percy was about to sit on a tiny black stool beside one of the couches. "Persephone doesn't like it when people sit there. It's just an aesthetic."

"Oh. Okay. Yeah," Percy said, fidgeting. "Who's…who's Persephone again?"

"Step-mom," she said, sitting on the left-most couch. She gestured for Percy to sit on the couch in the middle.

Percy sat down. He looked around the apartment while he waited for Bianca to say something. Bianca didn't look like she was about to talk any time soon, though. She was just sitting there as if she was at the dentist's, waiting for her turn. Percy was very amused by the fact that both Bianca and Nico were apparently not very good with talking to people.

"Bianca? Are we just gonna sit here or…?"

Bianca looked at him as if she just realized he was there. Her big black eyes looked hollow. "Right," she said. "Hmm. How should I start?" Bianca sighed. "Ok. What are your best qualities?"

_Hard question_, Percy thought. He didn't really know how to answer that. _Did_ he have any good qualities? Why did people like him so much? He didn't really get it.

"I…Umm… Why do you want to know?" Percy said.

"You still don't know?" she said, pursing her lips. Percy wanted to shout. _Am I just supposed to know everything?_

"I… I only have a theory," he said, settling for a calmer version of his thought.

"Lay it on me," she said.

Percy felt apprehensive. He didn't want anyone to confirm his suspicion, even though he was pretty sure already of its validity.

"Well…I…I think Nico's in love with –" Percy paused.

"_With?_" Bianca said, as if there was a definite answer she was looking for.

Percy bit his lip. "With Annabeth. I think Nico's in love with –"

Bianca burst into a fit of laughter. Percy was shocked, of course – and a little insulted. Her hysteric cackling went on for a while, actually. It was like she forgot Percy was even there.

"_Oh my God_. That's rich," she said, still laughing. "Great joke, Percy. Now, seriously – what's your theory?"

Percy wrinkled his eyebrows. He was very bemused. It was written all over his face.

"What…what other explanation _is_ there?" he said.

Bianca stopped laughing. "You're…you're _serious?_" she said. "Oh. Wow. _Shit_. Okay?" She blinked over and over, signaling her confusion. "I guess… Hmm…"

Silence enveloped the room. Percy still didn't think he was wrong. He thought Bianca was obviously messing with him. She seemed like the type who would do that, he thought.

Percy decided to change the subject – kind of. "Why do you want to meet me so much anyway?"

"Because I want to know what my brother's getting into," she says, crossing her arms.

"What? Do you think I'm gonna hurt Nico or something? I…I'd never do that, Bianca. Besides, Annabeth and I aren't even together anymore."

Bianca grunted. "You promise you won't hurt him?"

"Never," Percy said. "Never in a million years. Nico's the amazing person I've ever met, you know. He's… How can I even begin? He's…delicate, but he's also one of the strongest people I know. He's thoughtful. He's passionate about the weirdest things. When he talks, you just want to pinch him. He just makes you want to _care_ for him, you know. That's why I love him."

There was a long pause before Percy realized what he had just said.

"Oh…Oh shit."

Bianca looked at Percy, wide-eyed. Percy swallowed. _Bianca just _had _to be the first person I'd ever tell. Stupid, stupid, stupid, _he thought. Bianca gave Percy a variety of puzzled expressions before she spoke.

"Did…did you just say you love my brother?"

"Yeah. I mean, no. I mean, I think so. I…I didn't mean it that way." Percy bowed his head as his face turned streak red. "Shit."

"I did _not_ see this coming," she said. Percy couldn't look her in the eye. "You're…you're gay for my brother?"

_Gay_. Percy never really liked using the term. He didn't like guys, he thought. He liked _a_ guy – or rather, he _loved_ a guy.

"Yeah. I…I guess I am," he said.

"You _guess_? Oh my God. This changes everything, you know. It changes – oh, my phone." Bianca's phone rang. It was a text message from her dad, apparently.

"Shit," she said. "They're coming back. You have to leave. _Now_." She stood up and grabbed Percy by the arm. She pulled him to their front door. Percy was a little too stirred up to protest. _But I didn't even get to see his room_, he thought. He felt childish.

"B-Bianca," he said, before leaving the premises. "Don't…don't tell anyone what I said. Please."

"Don't worry. I shan't. Now, _go_," she said. Percy nodded. He was still red with embarrassment.

Bianca slammed the door shut without another word. Percy headed for the elevator.

When he got out of the building, Percy didn't really know what to do. He didn't know where he should go. Heading back home seemed too depressing. He didn't want to go to a friend's house either. He couldn't face any of them. Percy then thought of the park, but it didn't sound promising either. The mall was even less promising.

_I'm guess I'm heading back home_. Depressing as it was, that was the best choice.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Percy. <em>Yoohoo<em>."

"Yo, earth to Percy."

"You still alive, Perce? Hello? Perce?"

It was a Monday and Percy was spacing out. Grover, Travis and Connor, who sat with him on their lunch table, were _very_ concerned. Percy had already told them about the break up with Annabeth, and they tried their very best to comfort the brunette boy.

Percy finally came to when Grover shook his shoulders. "Y-yeah?" Percy said.

"Look, man. I know what happened was really depressing," Grover said, "but don't let it faze you that much. It won't do you any good. Trust me."

Percy sighed. "Yeah. You're right. Totally. I just… well, I –"

What stopped Percy from continuing his sentence was the sight of Nico and Annabeth taking their seats a few tables away. Percy wondered if they were an official couple already, although, based how they were seated, it looked like they weren't.

They sat across from each other, and none of them looked the least bit happy. Nico looked angry. Annabeth looked glum. Percy felt like it was his fault that they were like that. They were thinking of him too much, Percy thought. _They should just get together_.

Nico's eyes met Percy's. Nico looked away. A blush soon followed Annabeth turned to Percy's direction. She stared for second before giving Percy an apologetic smile and turning away.

"Yo, Perce. You're spacing out again, dude," Travis said.

"I'm gonna eat all your food if you don't stop doing that, Perce. I swear," Connor said.

Percy felt someone touch his shoulder. It wasn't Grover, Travis or Connor.

"Hey guys," the person said. "Mind if I borrow Percy for a minute?" It was Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

"Only if you can get him to stop spacing out," Grover said.

"Can do," she said. "YO! PERCY JACKSON!" She yelled into Percy's ear.

"Ouch. What the hell, Rachel?" Percy said, his ear feeling a large amount of pain.

"C'mon loser. We have to talk," she said, pulling Percy by the arm.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming," he said, standing up on his own. "Where exactly?" he asked.

"Over there." She pointed to the vacant table at the far left side of the cafeteria.

As they walked to the vacant table, Percy noticed a lot of people were looking at him and Rachel weirdly. When he passed by this one table, he even heard a few whispers. "I heard Percy and that Annabeth girl broke up," and "Is he dating Rachel Elizabeth Dare?" were what they said. Percy also heard someone say, "Do you think I'd have a chance with Percy?" If it were any other day, Percy would've giggled from hearing that. Today, though, Percy was just not in the mood.

"Don't mind them Percy," Rachel said. Percy nodded.

When they finally took their seats on the table, Rachel was the one to start the conversation.

"Okay. First of all: have you realized anything new yet?" she asked.

"I don't know what you mean by _new_, Rachel," Percy said.

"Hasn't the world been obvious _enough_, Percy?" she said. "Didn't the other day make realize _anything_ at all? About Nico, perhaps?"

"I have _no _idea what you're talking about, Rachel. Can you _please_ just tell me what this is all about?" Percy really wasn't in the mood for puzzles.

There was silence. Rachel's mouth froze open. Percy looked at her waiting for answers, but nothing came out.

"C'mon, Rachel," Percy said. "Why don't you just tell me?" Rachel still didn't talk. "I…Well…If you want to know if I realized something, then I guess I have to say yes to that," Percy added.

Rachel looked at Percy expectantly. "I think Nico has feelings for Annabeth."

Rachel's eyes widened. She raised an eyebrow. "'Ya serious?" she said. "_That's_ your big realization?" Rachel, looking annoyed, placed her palm on her face. She shook her head. "Oh my God, Percy. You really have no idea."

"If that isn't it, then what is? I don't get why people just expect me to know these things!" Frustration was evident in Percy's expression.

"I really can't tell you, Perce. The only person who _can_ tell is Nico, and I don't think he'll be doing that any time soon."

Percy didn't reply. _So I really_ have _been wrong all this time?_ His head started to hurt.

Percy grunted. He bowed his head and placed both hands on his face. "Everything's just turning to shit, Rachel. I can't even stand looking at Nico right now without my heart going crazy. It's _shit_."

Rachel looked confused. "What's that supposed to mean? Are…are you saying you _like_ Nico or something?"

"_Yeah, _that's exactly what I'm saying. Got a problem with it?" he said, not caring if he was being too loud.

"Let me get this straight. _You_, Percy Jackson, who just broke up with _Annabeth_ is telling _me_ that _you _like _Nico_? As in _like-like_?"

Percy nodded.

"That's it, you have to tell him Percy. _You have to," _she said, with a tone of urgency.

"W-what?" Percy said, looking up. "No way."

"What do you mean, _no way?_ You _have_ to tell him, Percy. I promise you, this will all end if you just _tell_ him."

"I said no, okay?" Percy said, indignantly. "I don't even know how you can think that'd make anything better." Percy stood up. He knew Rachel didn't really do anything wrong, but he was angry just the same.

"Just tell him, Percy," she said. Percy took one last angry look at her before leaving.

_What the hell is she thinking?_ Percy thought, as he headed back to Grover, Travis and Connor. Rachel was being absurd. She was asking him to do the unimaginable. There was no way he could tell Nico without his heart getting crushed, he thought.

Percy looked over to Annabeth and Nico's table.

Percy stopped walking for a minute when he saw the two stand up. His usual instinct would have told him to go wherever they were going.

Apparently though, his usual instinct was still very much alive.

Annabeth and Nico walked out of the cafeteria and Percy crept behind them like a stalker.

The pair didn't seem to realize Percy was following them. It was pretty noisy in the hallway. Friends were hanging out with friends by their lockers.

Percy noticed one guy suddenly spill his juice on the floor. Nico, who was busy talking with Annabeth didn't look where he was going. Annabeth wasn't looking ahead either.

Percy was ready to run to salvage the other boy from slipping.

Percy blacked out a little. He didn't know what was actually transpiring as he ran and grabbed the Italian boy, saving him from spilled juice.

His eyes were tightly shut. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor. His arms were grabbing tightly to something – a body, to be exact. He heard heavy breathing.

"Percy?" Annabeth spoke.

Percy opened his eyes. He immediately let go of Nico who was breathing heavily and blushing profusely. Percy started to redden as well when they started getting on their feet.

"Th-th-thanks Percy," Nico said. "I...I...I almost...I would've...I..."

"Y-yeah, no problem," Percy said, nodding and blushing.

Annabeth looked very bemused. Seeing that, Percy tensed up. He started laughing anxiously.

"I…I better get going then." Percy walked backwards. "Oops, sorry," he said, bumping into someone. More nervous laughs went out of his mouth.

Nico turned to Annabeth then to Percy. "You…you can still hang out with us, Percy," he said.

"What? Umm, n-no. No. I wouldn't want to impose, you know." He scratched the back of his head as he laughed more. Annabeth's facial expression didn't change. She was still confused-looking. It was like she was trying to figure something out. "I…I better go," Percy continued, still being very fidgety.

Percy ran back to the cafeteria without thinking about how weird he must be appearing. _Shit_, Percy thought. _Not good._

_Not good, not good, not good, not good._

* * *

><p>Back on his bed with his headphones on. That was where Percy was at present. He had gone home from school feeling a great amount of anxiety.<p>

"You did, _what_?" was what Rachel said when Percy told her what happened. He did this right before going back home. The only person he thought he could confide in right now was her, even though he might have been kind of a jerk to her a while ago.

"I couldn't help myself, okay?" Percy said, sounding flustered. "Don't you think that was the right thing to do?"

"Well, sure," she said. "But I can only imagine how that must've looked." She giggled as she talked.

"You...you think he realized something?" Percy said, being a worrywart.

"Nico? No, of course not. Annabeth, on the other hand..."

"You think so?" Percy said.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see, will we?" This was the end of their conversation.

He did _not _want Annabeth to know about his feelings yet. They had just broken up. He didn't want to upset her, or ruin anything she might have with Nico.

There was knock on his door.

"Percy?" It was his mom, Sally. "You have a visitor."

Percy sat up and looked at her quizzically. "Who?" he asked.

Emerging from Sally was the slim figure of Annabeth. Percy gulped.

"I'll leave you two alone," Sally said, heading out.

"Hi Percy," Annabeth said, flashing a thoughtful smile. She didn't move from her position by the doorway. Percy stood up in an attempt to be polite. It was never this awkward between before - well, they've never broken up before either.

"H-hey," Percy said, trying to smile back.

"I came here to talk," she said.

"Oh. Yeah. Totally," Percy said. "Let's talk."

"Can we sit?" Annabeth asked. "This might take long," she added. Percy nodded. They sat side by side on his bed. It still didn't feel the same as before, and Percy knew it would never be that way again. He wouldn't feel the same ease he felt when they were together. The universe won't allow it.

"So...Umm...First of all, thanks for saving Nico's butt a while ago," she said. "Didn't really get to thank you for that."

Percy flushed a bit. "I... No problem. It was nothing, really."

Annabeth smiled. "Well, thanks anyway," she said. "Now... I'd... I'd like to apologize Percy."

Percy didn't think she had anything to apologize for. "No, Annabeth. You did nothing wrong. I...I completely understand," he said - even though he really didn't.

"Yes, Percy. I _do _need to apologize. You don't deserve this. I...You don't even really know what _this _is, Percy," she said.

Percy's mouth froze open. He was so confused – just like most of the time. If he _did _know what this was really about, then he would be very, very sad. If he _didn't_, well, he didn't really know what to feel.

Then, Percy thought: _If there's any right time to ask about it—this is that time. _What can he lose?

"Annabeth. Can I ask you something?" he said.

"Anything," she replied.

"Does…does Nico have feelings for you?" _There, I said it._

Annabeth froze. She blinked. She opened her mouth. She laughed.

"W-_what_?" she said. "W-what did you say? Am I hearing things?"

Percy wrinkled his eyebrows. "Why does everyone keep on doing that?" he said, remembering Bianca's reaction. "Do _you_ have feelings for Nico?" he continued, trying to think of a crack theory for everything.

"Me? No. _God_, no," she said, still in hysterics. "I wouldn't even think of it."

"Why not?" Percy said. He felt the need to defend Nico even though he wasn't _really_ insulted. "Nico's great. He's interesting. He's kind. He's cute. He's perfect," Percy said. He wasn't thinking when he said that.

Annabeth held her stomach, trying to stop her laughter. "From the way _you_ just said it, I think it's _you _who likes Nico." She wasn't thinking when she talked either. She was too caught up in laughing.

Percy fell silent. His feet began to heat up, then his legs, then his crotch, then his stomach, then his chest, then his neck and then his face.

Annabeth stopped laughing when she saw the look on Percy's face.

"Oh my God. There. That's _exactly _what you were doing a while ago when…when you saved Nico." Annabeth was having an epiphany. Her eyes widened. "Percy… Do you…by any chance…do you like –" Annabeth paused. "Do you like Nico?"

Percy bit his lip. "I…" he felt terrible. "I…I don't want to get in between you two," he said.

"God, I thought I already made myself clear. Nico, me. _Not happening_," she said. "So just answer my question, Percy Jackson."

"If you and Nico aren't getting together, then why did you –"

"Just answer the question."

"But why does –"

"Answer the question."

"What –"

"Answer the question."

"Who –"

"Percy. For the love God – _answer the question!"_

"YES! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Look, I didn't want you to find out this way, okay? I didn't even want you to find out at all, okay? I never wanted to feel this way, okay? But I do. I really do, okay? I fucking love the guy!" Percy's voice got all croaky.

The look on Annabeth's face was not what Percy expected. He thought she'd be furious. She actually had a smile on her face – one of the comforting nature. Her gray eyes, which usually looked stormy and murderous, looked very gentle and caring.

"You know I love you Percy, right?" she said. Percy nodded. "And you love me too, right?" she said. Percy nodded again. Her comforting smile never faded. She continued to say, "But I think we both know that you and I – will never work." It was a painful statement to her, but the truth in it was massive. murderous

"Now…if… If you really have _feelings_ for Nico…then… I _really_ think you should tell him," she said.

"Doesn't…" Percy started to say. ""Doesn't this bother you at all? Me liking _a guy_? Me liking _Nico? _Plus we _just_ broke up, you know."

"Like I said, Percy. You and I just aren't a good match," she said. "And I believe that love knows no gender."

Percy grinned. "When did you get so _cheesy?_ This isn't like you, 'beth," he said, jokingly.

Annabeth laughed. "Shut up," she said. Percy realized at that moment that even though he and Annabeth won't be dating anymore, they can still be very good friends.

"Promise me you'll tell Nico, okay?" Annabeth said.

Percy didn't like the idea. His stomach churned just from the thought of it. He didn't see the point. "Do I have to?" he asked.

"Yes," Annabeth said, being imposing. "You _have_ to Percy. The whole reason for this whole mess was the fact that people weren't being honest with each other. You can end that." She had a very good point.

"But," she continued. "Don't do it tonight. We have two exams tomorrow." Ah, Annabeth – always concerned with schoolwork.

"Oh. Crap. Completely forgot about that," Percy said.

Annabeth smiled. "Tsk tsk. What would you do without me?" she said. Percy chuckled. "Well," she continued. "I better get going. Have a _lot_ of studying to do." She stood up, wearing a satisfied look on her face.

"Wait," Percy said as she was about to head for the door. "Before…before you go, I wanna ask you something," he said. The look on Annabeth's face said 'what's up?' "If…" Percy said. "If Nico never had feelings for you then what –" Annabeth stopped Percy before he could finish.

"What been going on?" Annabeth said, dryly. She chuckled. "Nico will tell you – once you confess your, you know, your undying love."

Percy decided not to pry anymore. "When do you think I should tell him, anyway?" he asked.

Annabeth sighed. "It's up to you Perce. Find the right timing. My only advice is don't do it while we have tests and stuff."

"But –"

"But nothing, Percy. I'm gonna go now, okay?" Annabeth walked to the door. "Bye Percy," she said before officially leaving the room.

"Bye," Percy said, waving.

When Annabeth was gone, Percy was left to think. He had to study in a while, but he had to get his thoughts straight first. He was now sure of three things: He was wrong about the whole Nico-Annabeth situation, Annabeth was fine with him having feelings for Nico, and he, though very apprehensive to do so, was going to tell Nico.

He was going to do it.

It was scary.

Really scary.

Super scary.

Unbelievably scary.

But, it had to be done.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I'm more than inspired to write the next chapter, because…well, I can't tell 'ya. XD<strong>

**~ LC The Brave.**


	6. Chapter 6

**NEW CHAPTER – a long one at that. I just couldn't fit my ideas in 5000 words. I poured my heart out on this chapter. I tried not to go overboard with highfaluting words. **

**Sorry it took longer than the others, by the way. My Psychology professor has been fcking with my head.**

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairing: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO)

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a little OOC. Sorry for random grammatical errors that are sure to appear!

* * *

><p><strong>Skinny Love<strong>

**Chapter 6**

No one leaves a Physics exam happy.

This is especially true when the only formula you've memorized is a formula for complete and utter disaster.

_How am I supposed to answer this?_ Percy thought, as he stared at the word problems, which he could only pray would solve themselves. He knew he was going to fail this exam, and there was really nothing much he could do about It now.

Percy didn't get much sleep the previous night, but it wasn't because he was studying for his Physics or his History exam. Rather, he was thinking about how he should go about with the fact that he was soon to lay out the depths of his heart to the person he was in love with.

Apparently, Percy really _was_ wrong about the "Nico loves Annabeth" situation. He had three conversations to confirm that. It puzzled him a great amount. He couldn't find any other explanation for everything that had been happening, and according to Annabeth, the only way he'll find that explanation is if he tells Nico.

Percy still didn't really see the point, though. However, he guessed that since other people were telling him to be honest about his feelings, it was probably best to listen to them.

The bell rang. The papers were being passed. Percy didn't really care anymore. He just answered anything he found answerable.

Percy sighed heavily as he walked out of the classroom. Nico and Annabeth were already out in the hallway. They didn't notice him. Annabeth was busy ranting about the exam while Nico listened. Percy sighed again. He really missed that.

His next class was in a few minutes. Percy, who felt despondent, just turned around and headed for the classroom.

* * *

><p>Sally knew very well that her son was going through a rough time. She didn't know the full story, but she is very aware of Percy's dejected state. He told her about his break up with Annabeth, but he didn't tell her about the <em>other<em> thing.

Percy wanted to tell her. His mother always had the best advice. However, he feared how she'd react to him liking _a guy_.

As he sat with his mom while eating dinner, Percy contemplated on whether it would be best to just tell her then and there. He readied himself. He put down his spoon and fork and set aside the meat loaf. He opened his mouth.

"Oh, honey." Sally talked before Percy could even utter. Percy froze. "Are you okay with coming with us to an event on Saturday?"

"Really?" Percy said, a little startled. "Am I even allowed to?"

"Oh, yes, yes. Paul said a lot of his colleagues are bringing their children with them," she said.

"What's it for, anyway?" Percy asked.

"They're honoring a bunch of professors for something they did. I'm not sure exactly," Sally said.

Percy was still apprehensive. "I don't know mom… I'm not sure if I can be a charming party guest right now," he said.

Sally gave him a comforting look. "Now, Percy – I know you've been having a rough time with the break-up and everything, but I think it's good if you do things that could, you know, get your mind off it."

Percy sighed. It _did_ seem like a good distraction.

"You don't have to decide now," Sally said. "Just think about it, okay?" She flashed a thoughtful smile.

"I…" Percy started to say. "I'll go. Yeah. I'll go," he continued. Sally smiled.

"Now finish your food so you can go do your homework," she said. Percy nodded. He consumed his meat loaf in a few minutes time.

Percy headed into his room after eating. As he did, Percy heard a ringing sound. It was his phone. He checked his study table and there it was – vibrating and all. He flipped it open and saw that Rachel Elizabeth Dare was calling.

"Hello?" he said. "Rachel?"

"Mr. Niceboy. Can I come over?"

Percy wrinkled his eyebrows in bemusement. "What? Why?" he asked.

"Well, Annabeth and I talked a while ago, and I found out a few things," she said. She then explained how she and Annabeth "accidentally" revealed to each other about Percy's secret.

"Wait, _what_? She told you?" Percy said.

"Not really. We were both just hinting it," she said.

"I…I don't even understand how that could happen," he said.

"It did, okay? So can I come over?" she said, insistently.

"_Why?"_ Percy said, bemusedly.

"Because I just _know _you'll be needing help with your confession," she said.

"I…What…I don't…" Percy gulped. This call couldn't have come at better time, actually. He needed serious advice. He chickened out on telling his mother, and Annabeth wouldn't give him any advice. Rachel was the next best person to ask.

"Okay," Percy said, finally.

"I'll be there in two hours," she said.

"Huh? Two hours?" Percy said.

"Yeah, I have an essay to finish. You _do_ remember we have an essay due tomorrow, right?" she said. Percy was very forgetful about these things.

"I… Yeah… I'm just finishing it up," he said. The truth was, he hardly started it.

"Ok then," she said. "See you." She hung up. Percy sighed. He sat down on his desk and turned on his laptop.

The essay he was going to right would definitely be half-assed. He knew that. The only things he could do adequately right now were sigh and mope.

* * *

><p>So sigh, mope and write a half-assed essay really were all Percy did for two hours. Rachel arrived at around 8:30. It was a bit awkward when Percy's mom opened the door for her. She didn't know who Rachel was. Percy just told her she was a friend who came to study.<p>

"So," Rachel began saying as she sat on Percy's desk chair. Percy was sitting on his bed. "How do you plan on doing it?" she continued. Percy knew what _it_ meant, of course.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know," Percy said. "How do you even _do _those kinds of stuff?"

Rachel pursed her lips. "Well, how did you get together with Annabeth?" she said. "Maybe that'll give you an idea."

"I…" Percy started to have a mini flashback. More than four months ago, he and Annabeth had gotten together. Before that, Annabeth and Nico were just a couple of interesting people Percy happened to take classes with. It was when their Physics teacher had Annabeth and Percy partnered for a project that things changed. What that change entailed, of course, was the start of Percy and Annabeth's romantic relationship. It just happened, actually. They were working on the project at Annabeth's house. Eyes met, hands were held, and lips were kissed. It just felt right at the time. There wasn't any big hullabaloo with confessions and the like.

"Well?" Rachel said.

"I never actually had to do any _confessing _with Annabeth, you know," he said. "We sorta just…got together one day."

"Pfft," Rachel exclaimed. "Figures," she said.

"I don't even know how that's relevant," he said. "I mean, Nico and I aren't getting together. I'm just…just… What's with that look on your face?" Rachel Elizabeth Dare looked incredibly annoyed. Her green eyes were like a snake's. "Perseus _Whateveryourmiddlenameis_ Jackson. You _really_ have to get this done already, because your cluelessness is getting _so_ irritating." She paused, looking around the room. "Your room smells like boy, you know."

"Maybe it's because I _am_ one?" Percy said. "And is it really my fault that I'm clueless? I mean, no one's telling me anything!" Frustration was evident in his voice.

The redheaded girl let out a puff of air. She bit the inside of her lip before speaking again. "Trust me, Perseus. Even _you're_ gonna think you're stupid once you find out what's _really_ going on." Percy decided not to reply to that.

"Okay," Rachel said. "First thing's first. You have to find some way to talk to Nico _alone_. Although, that'll be pretty easy considering you've got Annabeth to help you." She took a deep breath. "Now," she continued. "Once you get him alone, you just tell him. No big speeches needed – just get to the point. It's probably best that way." Percy took mental notes in his head.

"Are you…are you sure about all this?" Percy said, still very hesitant about all this. "Don't I need to think to plan the venue or something? Maybe…maybe it'd be better if I prepared a speech. And…what if Nico freaks out? What am I supposed to do _then_? What am I supposed to do if he like…calls me disgusting, but… Wait… No… Nico wouldn't do that, right? Shit, Rachel. _What am I supposed to do?"_

"All you have to do is tell him straight, Percy. That's it. Trust me," she said.

"_When?_" he said, sounding exasperated.

"That. I'll leave to you," Rachel said. "Now, I just have to warn you of a few things. Nico _will_ get incredibly tense when you tell him. He will _probably _hyperventilate. He will _most likely_ want to faint. Be ready for all that." Those all seemed like normal Nico reactions, which just made Percy even more anxious. "Oh, and there are _other_ stuff he might do too…or things he might want _you _to _do_." Rachel smirked. "Just be ready, okay?" Percy had no idea what the "other" stuff might be, but he just nodded in agreement.

"Anything else I should be worried about?" Percy asked. His hands were shaking. He was anticipating the worst. His sea green eyes were clad in worry and fear. A thousand curse words entered his brain.

"Don't be so nervous. I'm one hundred percent sure everything will turn out fine," she said, somewhat reassuringly.

"I…I just know I'm gonna get my heart crushed, you know?" he said.

Rachel chuckled. "You sound like such a _girl_, Percy. You and Nico are just perfect for each other. Seriously."

"He's…He's too good for me," Percy said, bowing his head and turning red. "Way too good." Hearing this made Rachel raise an eyebrow. She stood up and approached Percy. She placed her hand under his chin. She pushed it up, making Percy's head tilt upward.

"Hey," she said. "Be confident with yourself for once." She let go of his chin. "Humble Percy isn't always attractive, mind you." She placed her hands on her hips and sighed. "Apparently though, some people just can't help but fucking _love _youall the time."

"I don't know what you mean," Percy said. Rachel scowled. "I think you have some sort of mental problem, Perce," she said, sarcastically. Percy agreed very much. "You should get a shrink." Percy _also_ agreed with that.

Percy pulled out a tiny smile. "I will…someday," he said. Rachel sighed. "Okay," she said. "It's getting late. I'm gonna leave. I don't want you're mom to get any weird ideas. I'll leave _that_ to…well…_someone else._" Percy assumed it was a silly joke. He chuckled. "Bye," she said.

Nerves, nerves, nerves. Percy was just a bundle of them right now. Percy, who is one of the nicest, most sociable boys in the universe, just can't help having a bad reaction to his situation. He felt like he threw out all of his strengths and just kept his weaknesses. It was all because of one person. When you feel too much love, it really _can_ ruin your life. It fucks up your system. It consumes you.

The feeling of telling someone you love him or her even though you're _sure_ your heart's going to get crushed is truly a horrible one. Percy was very much aware of that now.

* * *

><p>What Percy anticipated would happen was that he'd chicken out the whole week. He expected his cowardice would get the best of him.<p>

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were all days he _could've_ told Nico – _but_ he did not. Saturday came and he was still very much unable to muster up any courage to even speak to the Italian boy. It was both frustrating and depressing. He was even about to attend the event at a hotel in a while, and he wasn't so sure he can turn on his amiable party guest switch.

"Percy, you ready?" Sally asked as she checked Percy's room. Percy was sitting on his desk chair. He wore a well-fitted suit. The coat was one of exquisite craftsmanship. The black pants made his legs look weirdly attractive. His sea green eyes stood out because of all the black he had on. His white dress shirt along with the black tie just added to Percy's overall dapperness.

"Yeah mom. I'm ready." Percy took one look at his face on his tiny mirror. He didn't really like what he saw. He was sure Annabeth would laugh at him if she sees him all neat and dressed up. He wasn't so sure what Nico's reaction would be, though.

"Then, let's get going," Sally said. She was wearing a nicely cut yellow dress that made her look like she was still in her 20s. "Paul's getting the car ready," she added. Percy replied with a nod.

He followed his mom going out of the apartment. Outside, their Ford Focus was already running. Paul was already inside, of course. Percy sat in the backseat alone.

"Hey," Paul said, as he started to drive the car. "Cheer up, Percy."

"Oh. Yeah," Percy said. "I'm not even sad. I'm just a little tired."

"Percy," Paul said. "You and I both know that's not true. Just…just try and think of something else, you know? The break-up's done, sport. We can't really do anything about it." He said this as they passed by building after building. The flashing lights coming from the towers looked like the sun to Percy right now.

"Listen to Paul, Percy," Sally said.

"I…Yeah. You're right, Paul." He feigned a tiny smile. "Totally."

The ride went on quietly. Percy _did_ try to follow Paul's advice. He tried singing a song in his head. It didn't work. He tried thinking about his favorite food, but it only got him hungry. He tried thinking about the last episode of The Office, but it was useless as well.

_Nico_, he thought. He closed his eyes and pictured the other boy's face in his head. He imagined Nico in his room. They're laughing. Nico does that thing he did before when he leaned into Percy's shoulder. He imagined he was looking into the Nico's brown eyes. Percy imagined putting his hands on Nico's face. He pictured himself staring at the Italian boy's mouth. He imagined himself leaning in, so close to the other boy's face. He felt hot. He felt weirdly energized.

"Percy," Sally said. Percy opened his eyes with a start. "We're here."

They were. Percy tried his best to compose himself before he left the car. _This the worst_, he thought. He knew he shouldn't torture himself by thinking about Nico _that way_, but he couldn't help himself.

The function room was quite large. There were tables all around reserved for specific guests. All the tablecloths were silky white. They all had red roses as centerpieces. Paul's colleagues welcomed him, Sally and Percy. They were a happy bunch. Most of them were middle-aged men and women, but there were a few youthful faces here and there. Percy flashed several smiles to several people while Paul introduced him. They all knew Sally already.

There was a small stage with a podium in the room. A man stepped on the podium and announced that the event was going to start in a few minutes. Percy, Paul and Sally sat on a table with a few of Paul's colleagues. One of them had a teenage girl along with him. The girl was quite tall and had an athletic physique. She wore a dark blue dress that accentuated her hips. Her face has this scowl that made her look like she wanted to kill someone.

"What are _you_ looking at?" she said, catching Percy's eye.

"I…Oh. Nothing, nothing." Percy said, tensing up. She rolled her eyes.

"Clarisse," her dad said, imposingly. "Sit down." He was a large man who, just like his daughter, looked very annoyed.

Clarisse gave Percy one last glare before she took her seat. Percy found her incredibly scary. However, he also thought she was hilarious. He let out a tiny laugh when he was sure she wasn't looking.

The MC of the event started giving the opening remarks. The event was apparently held in honor of two professors for writing this acclaimed book about Forensic Science. Percy didn't really catch the name of the authors. It was a big deal, evidently. There were also other professors they were honoring but Percy didn't know what for since he was a bit too dazed to be an attentive listener.

Percy heard the scowling girl across from him speak. "What was so good about that book anyway, dad?" she asked, a little bit too loudly.

"Shush, Clarisse," her dad said. "And Dr. Gardner and Dr. Di Angelo are extraordinary, mind you." Clarisse grunted.

_Wait a second,_ Percy thought. _Dr. Gardner, and…who? Did I hear that right? _

"Now," the MC continued. "May I call on a very special guest to say a few words before the we move on." The next words the MC uttered were a complete shock to Percy. "Please give a round of applause for Dr. Di Angelo's beautiful daughter, Bianca."

The slim figure of Bianca di Angelo walked on the stage. She was wearing a tight and shiny black dress. It suited her black eyes and black hair very well. She held a happy expression on her face, which Percy found scary.

_If she's here,_ Percy thought. _Then…_ He looked around. He looked to the far left. He wasn't there. He looked behind him. Nothing. It was when he turned to the table far right from the stage that he saw what he was looking for. Right there, sitting beside a man who he resembled, was the flimsy figure of Nico di Angelo. Percy turned to his mom. "Mom," he said. "Ni—" She cut him off. "Nico," she said, smiling. "I know."

Percy looked at where Nico sat again. He hoped he wasn't just imagining thingw. He really wasn't, though. He was there, wearing a coat and tie. Percy couldn't believe how unbelievably adorable the other boy looked.

"So," Bianca said on the microphone. Percy turned toward her. "My brother was actually supposed to be the one to do this," she said. "But he chickened out." Tiny laughs were heard from the audience. Percy looked at Nico again and saw that he started to blush like crazy. The man beside him, who Percy assumed was Nico's dad, patted him on the back. There was a huge grin on his face.

"Anyway," Bianca continued. "My father and his colleague Dr. Gardner have truly created a book worthy of praise. I'm not just saying this because he's my dad nor because Dr. Gardner is my professor here at NYU. I whole-heartedly believe that–" Percy didn't pay attention to the rest of the sentence. He turned to Nico again. He was afraid Nico would fade away if he wasn't looking. _Shit,_ Percy thought. _I wanna go to him._

"I myself have witnessed the long nights my father spent working on this book," Bianca said. "And, well…" She looked around the audience. She turned to Nico's table. "I couldn't be more impressed with the product of his hard work." She smiled.

Bianca looked towards Percy's direction.

Her eyes widened. "Oh. Wow," she said. "I…I mean –" Percy didn't hear the rest of what she said. _She saw me,_ he thought. _Not good._

Percy turned to Nico's table. The pale boy had an eyebrow raised. He looked towards Percy's direction. He moved his head from left to right, trying to see behind the people who might be blocking his view. Percy saw this, and even though he didn't want the other boy to see him, he just couldn't stop staring.

Nico's mouth fell open. He turned red in an instant. Percy tried smiling. "Hi," he mouthed.

Nico looked like he was staring at a ghost. He turned to his dad and said something to him in a panic. His dad wrinkled his eyebrows and turned to Percy's direction. Nico stood up stiffly. He briskly walked off to what looked like the entrance to a comfort room.

The audience clapped. It was time for Dr. Di Angelo to go on stage. "M-mom," Percy said. "I…I'm going to the comfort room." Sally looked at him quizzically. "Oh, okay," she said. "You know where it is?" Percy nodded.

The brunet boy stood up and headed for where Nico went. He didn't even know what he was going to do when he got there. Percy adjusted his tie in an attempt to look the tiniest bit better. Dr. Di Angelo was already speaking. His was telling some anecdote involving dead people. Percy didn't really care for it right now.

It _was _a comfort room. Walking inside, Percy saw the clean floor, the silver faucets but no Nico di Angelo. He _heard_ him, though.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit," Percy heard him say. He was inside a cubicle, apparently.

"Nico?" Percy said. Percy heard a bump.

"P-Percy?" Percy could tell Nico was flustered just from the sound of his voice. Percy smiled at the thought of this.

"Come out, come out," Percy said, being cheeky. "Don't need to hide. It's just good old Percy."

"_Yeah right,_" Nico said. Percy approached the cubicle where Nico was hiding. It was the only occupied cubicle so naturally it was where Nico was. Percy rested his head on the door.

"Nico, _come out,_" Percy whined.

"Why are you here, anyway?" Nico asked, rather loudly. "In…in this event, I mean." His voice softened.

"Paul's a professor at NYU," Percy said. "And trust me, until now, I didn't know your dad taught at NYU either."

Nico fell silent. Percy heard a _click_. He moved away from the door. Nico emerged from the cubicle wearing a poker face. It was a rather unconvincing poker face, though. The Italian boy's skin was rosy pink and his hands were shaking quite a bit.

"Hey," Percy said. They were standing face to face.

"H-hey," Nico replied. He bit his lip. "I'm overly neurotic...sorry."

_What? You're sorry?_ "Never apologize for that, Nico," Percy said, smiling. To Percy, Nico's awkward and neurotic tendencies were what made him interesting and _cute_.

_Should I tell him now?_ Percy thought. _No… Definitely not. No._

No one spoke. Percy stared at Nico whose head slightly turned to the left. His mouth was half-open. Percy examined the other boy's mouth with severe yearning in his heart. It should be illegal for a mouth to be such a color. Its redness was just indisputably enticing.

"Percy? Is there something on my face?" Nico asked, making Percy look at him with attentive eyes.

"I…No," Percy said. "Was just…doing nothing. I wasn't doing anything."

Nico looked at him bemusedly. "You're so weird," he said. "Starting to think Annabeth did the right thing to break-up with you."

"Hey," Percy said. "That was a low blow."

"You don't know how low I can blow," Nico said, not immediately realizing how that sounded. Percy laughed. "Funny, Nico," he said. "_Real _funny. You used to be so good at sarcasm. What happened to you?"

Nico glared. "I…I'll have you know that it's all your fault," he said. Percy laughed. His head titled back as he did so. "What?" he said. "How is it _my_ fault?"

Nico flushed. "Never mind," he said. The audience's applause resonated through the bathroom, halting the boys' conversation for a moment. Percy looked at the reddening Nico. He wanted to see the other boy's eyes but the fact that he bowed his head prevented Percy from doing that. This night seemed like a good opportunity to do what he wanted to do for the past week. _Should I tell him now?_ Percy thought. He shook his head. _No… Not here._

"Nico. Hey," Percy said as the noise subsided. "Wanna get out of here?" Nico looked at him as if he suggested the unthinkable. "W-what?" he said. "Won't…won't your parents get mad? And…and my dad…my dad…"

"You dad is preoccupied right now, and I'm sure my parents will be okay with it," Percy said, trying to persuade the tense boy.

"I…What for? What will we do?" Nico said. Percy smiled thoughtfully. "I dunno. We'll…whatever! Who cares, Nico?" Percy was always enthusiastic when he talked to Nico. Being around the other boy just made Percy weirdly energized.

Nico bit his lip. He walked away from where he stood. Percy now stood behind him.. "I…" Nico said. "Well…" Nico clenched his fists. Percy hoped he'd like what would come next. "I guess it's fine. I mean…Bianca's here…so…"

"Knew you'd give in," Percy said. "C'mon." Percy held out a hand. His self-awareness appeared to have been decreased to zilch. Nico stared at him for a while. "_C'mooon_, Nico." The Italian boy nodded. He took Percy's hand.

* * *

><p>They ran out of the hotel. Nico was awfully quiet. Percy was awfully energetic. Their hands were still very much entwined.<p>

They both breathed heavily when they were finally out of the location. The New York lights were dazzling rather than blinding to Percy now. It was because of Nico. He just knew it. Percy let go of Nico's hand. He raised both his arms like he was taking in the scenery. "_Wow_," he said. "I feel so pumped up." Nico chuckled.

"So weird," Nico said. "So, so weird." Percy skipped around with his suit and howled like a crazed dog. "You're on drugs," Nico said. "I'm sure of it."

Percy stopped moving. He stood in front of Nico with a huge grin on his face. "I know what we should do, Nico," he said. "Let's…let's go to the Empire State Building."

"W-what?" Nico said.

"No. Wait. Let's go to the Statue of Liberty…or…let's watch Saturday Night Live. No, no, no. Let's go to a nightclub, a party, a bar." It really was like he was on drugs. All the energy he had just muddled up his cognition.

"Shut up, Percy. You know we can't do any of that," Nico said, making Percy pout. "Don't make that face. Don't ever make that face."

"_But I wanna see New York, baby!_" It was like he was in some old black and white movie or something.

"Percy. You _live_ in New York," Nico said. "Let's…let's just get something to eat. There's…there's a diner nearby. You look hungry."

"Oh. Yeah. _Food_. Great idea. Brilliant," Percy said, still being very animated and cartoonish.

They walked side by side to the diner. They were still in suits so they looked incredibly out of place. Percy acted like a child in a new playground. He kept asking Nico silly questions, which were mostly answered with Nico's usual "I don't know."

Before they entered the diner, Nico stopped walking for a second. Percy was still blabbing on and on like an idiot. "Percy," Nico said. "Please. Compose yourself."

Percy pouted. "Fine," he said.

They walked into the diner with Percy being a little more poised. The energy in his brain still hadn't weakened, though. It was all so random and all so great.

However, Percy wrinkled his eyebrows upon clear examination of the diner. He checked his watch. It was 11PM. He looked back to the people sitting in the diner. _Is this just my imagination?_ he thought to himself. He wondered whether he really _had _taken drugs by mistake.

"N-Nico," he said. "Am I just imagining things or is this diner really filled with…with couples." Nico looked around. In one table there was a boy and a girl being all lovey-dovey while they ate a sundae together. In another, a boy and a girl were sleeping with the girl lying on the boy's shoulder. Then, what was a little shocking was that there was a couple making out out in the open. Nico's mouth froze half-open. "Oh," he said. "Oh shit. This…do you want to go somewhere else?"

Percy chuckled. "Nah," he said. "This is…this is interesting." Nico tensed up. "Really?" he said. Percy replied by grabbing Nico's arm and pulling him to a table.

They sat across from each other. Even in his euphoric state, Percy knew better than to force Nico into sitting right beside him. Percy called a waiter. Within a second, the waiter came and took their order.

"I…want..." Nico said, stuttering. He was fumbling through the pages of the menu. It was a funny sight. "I…want… Percy, what… Umm…"

"We'll both have a hot fudge sundae," Percy said, laughing at the flustered boy.

"Ok, would you like that to share?" the waiter said as if he was hinting something.

Nico shook his head in a frenzy. "No. No. Why…why would want it to share? Why would… We're not…" Percy laughed copiously with his head tilting back and all. "No," he said, still hysterical. "We'll have two."

"Alright," the waiter said, smiling and writing on his notepad. He left the two boys to wait for their sundaes.

Percy leaned back on his seat. His eyes darted to Nico. A smile flashed on the brunet boy's handsome face. "So," he said. "What now?" Nico looked sullen.

"What do you mean 'what now'?" Nico said. "Now, we wait. We just wait."

Percy breathed in. "God," he said, letting out a breath. "I feel so tired all of a sudden." He really did. Sitting made all the cooped up energy turn into fatigue.

"Maybe it's because you've been jumping around like an idiot," Nico said, snidely.

Percy grinned. "You know, I really missed spunky Nico," he said. Nico rolled his eyes, but the color of his skin signaled a different kind of emotion.

Then, they fell silent. Percy stared at Nico while Nico stared at the floor. Percy started to remember why he wanted to be alone with Nico in the first place. His stomach churned. His heart started to beat wildly. _Not good_, he thought. _Definitely not good_.

Their sundaes arrived. They ate quietly. Percy's realization made him shut up. He was now trying to conjure up a plan to put into action what he set out to do. He did this while trying _not_ to look at Nico. The sight of the pale skinned boy steadily consuming his hot fudge sundae was a little bit too much for Percy to handle. The way the spoon slipped out of Nico's temptingly beautiful mouth as he took in a slab of the cold dessert sent chills down Percy's spine. The way the syrup stayed on Nico's mouth and the way Nico licked it off unknowingly prompted several dirty thoughts to enter Percy's muddled up brain.

Percy decided to go with his instinct.

Nico's left hand was on the table. Percy took it.

"Nico," he said. Percy's sea green eyes showed an immense amount of longing – such a different emotion to what he was just feeling minutes ago. Nico dropped his spoon. His eyes widened and his face showed a look of despair.

"W-w-w-what are…w-what…? M-my…my… What is this again? A foot? No…no, a hand. Wait. Is it? What… Percy… What are doing there…? With…with my foot…I…I mean hand. Yeah, hand." Nico was obviously flustered.

"I wanna tell you something," Percy said, calmly.

"Y-y-you do?" Nico laughed nervously. "Can…can you tell me without doing _that_?" Percy still didn't let go. He stared into Nico's eyes still trying to find the right words to express his sentiments.

"I…" Percy said. "I think I…" He paused. "I…I know… I mean, I'm _sure_… I –"

Nico cut him off. He took his hand away abruptly. "You know, don't you?" he said. Percy fell silent. It wasn't clear to him what Nico meant.

"You…you know. Oh shit. I…I can't… I can't…" Nico stood up in an instant. He fidgeted, mumbling a few unintelligible words and vociferating some very discernible curse words. He turned and started dashing out of the diner.

'Nico!" Percy put money on the table. "Nico, wait!" He ran after the other boy.

The sidewalk was only occupied by a few walking pedestrians. Percy bumped into a few of them as he ran after Nico. It looked like the Italian boy was heading for the hotel, which wasn't that far, truthfully.

"Nico!" Percy shouted. Nico only seemed to speed up.

Nico ran through the hotel's automatic doors. Percy was almost catching up to him. He realized though that his tie was missing for some reason; although, that was the least of his problems.

Nico's speed didn't falter. He just kept on running. The hotel staff were giving them weird looks. The security personnel, who looked sleepy and unperturbed, made no attempt to stop them.

"Nico! Nico, what the fuck!" Percy finally caught up to him. They were running through the relatively large hotel lobby. He tried grabbing the panicked boy's arm. However, Nico always managed to pull away from Percy's grasp.

Nico took a detour. He ran through a hallway at the left of the lobby. A few people were strolling by. It was a long hall where the gift shop, the spa and the health club were. Nico entered a small room. There was a sign in front that said "Café. Closed until further notice." The lighting was very dim. There were tables much like the ones in the function room. Percy didn't examine much of the place, though.

"Nico!" Percy yelled. Nico had vanished from his sight.

"Go away," Nico said, rather loudly. He appeared to be hiding under one of the tables.

"Nico, Percy said in frustration. "I don't even know what the hell you were going on about back there. _What_ do I know, goddamit?"

"Don't lie," Nico said. Percy, though very much infatuated, wanted to throw a chair at Nico right now.

"Lie? Why would I lie? _Fuck_, why would I lie? And where the hell are you? We have to talk," Percy said. "C'mon. Nico. Where are you?"

"Not telling."

"Nico. C'mon."

There was silence. Percy went down on the floor. He crawled as he tried to find which table Nico was squirreled away in. He continued to crawl until he saw a pair of black shoes under one table, which, unmistakably, were Nico's.

Percy lifted the tablecloth. "Nico," he said, seeing the flustered boy sitting with his knees bent in front of him and his feet flat on the ground. His hands covered his eyes.

"Go away, Percy," he said. "I can't talk to you right now. If you really don't know…then, leave me alone. _Please_. Leave me alone."

Percy positioned himself the same way Nico sat. He let out a heavy sigh. "You never even let me finish what I was going to say," he said.

"Because I know I won't like it," Nico said.

"Well…that's…that's probably true," Percy responded. In hindsight, he didn't know whether telling Nico was the best idea anymore.

"Just…just go away, Perce. I can't… I just can't… Not when… Do you know how hard it is? Do you?" His voice hinted a great amount of sadness. Percy's bemusement registered in his face. A large reaction from Nico was pretty much expected but he did _not_ know what the hell the other boy was talking about. If the explanation was clearly not that Nico had feelings for Annabeth, then Percy just couldn't fathom what it could actually be.

Nico took his hands away from his face. He bowed his head. "Look," he said. "I…I'm sorry I overreacted just because you held my hand. I know that was just you being…_you_. But you have to understand. What I…what I feel isn't normal. What I… Shit. You _really_ don't know? Are you sure? Are you positive? Hasn't it been obvious?" Nico looked incredibly red and flustered.

"_I don't know what you're talking about_, Nico. And…and things have been hard for me too, you know. I've been wanting to know what's been going on for the past…I dunno, _month_? Apparently though, I'm a blithering idiot." It was a statement that made Nico look even sadder.

Nico bit his lip. He opened his mouth, preparing to say something. "I…I'm sorry Percy. It's my fault." Nico lifted his head. Their eyes met. Nico's were red with tears. Percy's were full of puzzlement.

"Percy. I…I guess… Maybe I… This isn't… Well, I think…" Nico started breathing heavily. They were lucky no one was overhearing their conversation.

"What are you trying to tell me, Nico? Look, maybe I should talk first. What I wanted to tell you a while ago was that I… Well… It's pretty complicated. Well, not really. It's…pretty simple. Nothing really big." Percy couldn't believe how much of a liar he was being.

"No. I…I should talk first. I want to tell you that…the reason…the reason why… What I've been meaning to… I think… I know… I guess…"

"Nico. I just want you to know this, okay? This is gonna be awkward. People have been telling me to tell you this, but… I've… I think I only found the right time now and –"

"Percy. You're so nice. Unbelievably nice. You deserve everything in the world. That's why… I… Well…"

They entered an endless loop of stalling and pining. Percy wanted to stop it. "Damn, Nico," he said. "Let's…let's just say what we want to say at the same time. To…to get it over with."

Nico nodded. "Al-alright…" he said. "At the same time."

"Okay. I'll count?" Percy said. Nico nodded again. "Okay," Percy continued. "In 5…4…."

"Wait! I'm not ready!"

They breathed in and then exhaled. "Okay now?" Percy said. Nico nodded once more.

""Okay. 5, 4, 3, 2 –"

"Wait! Stop! No!" Nico apparently wanted to postpone this as long as possible. Percy, though, was already resigned to the idea that confessing to Nico was a _must_.

"Nico," Percy said, touching Nico's arm. "5, 4, 3, 2…"

Drumbeats rang in both of their ears. Suspenseful background music filled the atmosphere. Percy breathed in heavily one last time.

"1."

A pause.

"_I love you_."

A long pause.

The words came out of their mouths almost simultaneously.

Hearts twisted. Faces flushed. Chests heated up. Bodies froze. Senses numbed. Insides were decreased to mush.

Millions of words entered Percy's head – but he couldn't pick which of them were appropriate to vocalize.

"W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-what did you say?" Percy managed.

"What…w-what d-did y-_you_ s-s-say?" Nico replied.

"I don't wanna say it again." He really did, though.

"Me neither." Nico covered his face. He shook his head for what seemed like an eternity.

_Is this for real?_

Percy positioned himself so that the lower halves of his legs were flat on the floor. The table fell over. Percy didn't care for it. He pushed it away, making it slam against another table. "Nico," he said. "Your…your face. I wanna see you face…" Percy grabbed Nico's arms. He pulled them away. Nico's eyes were tightly shut. His formerly bent legs fell to the ground.

_Why have I never realized this?_

"Nico…" He put his hands on Nico's red face. It felt soft. It felt hot. Percy felt like he was just given the license to smother it. "Open. Your eyes. Open." Nico obeyed. Those hazelnut eyes that Percy found so beautiful stared into his passion-filled eyes.

Percy leaned in.

The moment their lips touched, Percy felt like heaven was within his reach. Reality was completely swept away. Nothing but pure yearning and besottedness enveloped their surroundings. Percy made his way into Nico's drooling mouth. It was sloppy. It was slow. It was sweet. It was like the goddess of love just gave them the greatest blessing imaginable.

_I can't believe this is happening. _

"I love you," Percy said, in the middle of the kiss. Nico whimpered. Percy took both Nico's arms and used them to push Nico's delicate body to the floor. Percy positioned himself right on top of his newfound love.

Percy stopped the kiss and let out several heavy gulps of air. Their suits were getting wrinkled, but Percy couldn't care less. He planted a peck on Nico's lips. "I'm sorry," he said. Another peck. "I was so stupid." Percy's hands were back on Nico's cheeks. Nico was breathing heavily. His eyes were brimming with a weary type of desire. His lips were swollen. A small amount of drool trickled down his chin. Percy planted another peck on Nico's lips. "I was so clueless." Another wonderful peck. "I…" Percy said. Nico closed his eyes once more. "I love you."

_I really do._

A hot, passionate kiss started to devour Nico's being – and Percy was happy to be the one who was granting it.

At first, it was just Percy. It was only Percy that moved his lips slowly, fervently and sloppily in the hopes of adequately conveying his deep affection. It was just Percy who craved entry into Nico's unjustly succulent lips. Percy managed to open it and slip his tongue inside – _finally_, Percy thought.

When Nico started to kiss back, the mush that filled Percy's insides somehow broke down even further. Nico's hands gripped the back of Percy's coat. The kiss became even more passionate. Nico's hands were shivering as they tightened their grip to Percy's clothing.

"P-Per-c-cy," Nico whimpered. "I…" Percy closed in on Nico's lips before Nico could continue. Nico couldn't help but give in to Percy's tongue-filled attack. It was uncanny how Percy was unable to pay attention to anything else just because of Nico's mere presence.

Percy never seemed to get tired. He just kept exploring Nico's mouth like it was some kind of maze that needed to be figured out. It was only when Nico showed signs of exhaustion that Percy halted.

"Nico. Is…is there something wrong?" Percy said, wearing a worried look. He placed his hands flat on the ground. Nico breathed heavily.

"_What…what do you mean is there something wrong_? Of course there is!" Nico placed his hands on his face. "This…this is too good. It's too good. Too good. I can't handle it. I can't. I can't."

Percy smiled. He leaned in and pulled Nico into an embrace. Percy nestled his head by Nico's shoulder. Percy breathed in, taking in the scent of Nico's hair.

"_I love you._" Percy whispered into Nico's ear. He felt Nico tense up.

"Don't say that! _Don't_."

Percy exhaled, making his hot breath rush into Nico's ear. "_I love you,"_ he whispered again.

"You're persistent."

"You're cute."

"Shut up."

"No way."

Percy was about to kiss Nico again, but then, an alien voice surfaced.

"Yeah, Percy. Please, shut up." Percy and Nico released each other from their embrace. Percy rolled over in a panic. Nico sat up. _Oh shit._ Their eyes widened and their faces reddened as they saw the figure of Bianca di Angelo standing across from them.

"Damn, if I knew you guys were doing _this_, I wouldn't have come looking," she said. She had her hands on her hips. She looked at the two boys with a mixture of delight and disgust. "I should've seen this coming."

"We…we weren't…" Nico looked horrified by the fact that his sister had just seen him being intimate with Percy. Percy, though, looked scared yet amused at the same time.

"Save it, brother," she said. "Look, as much as I want you two to _get it on_, there are two reasons why you can't right now. First, you're in _public_. Second, dad wants you to get back there."

Percy laughed. His head tilted back. The situation was all so funny, and all so magical. Nico glared at him. "Don't laugh," he told Percy. "Stop it."

"Make me," Percy said, eyeing Nico suggestively. Nico flushed and glared at the same time.

"Woah there. Like I said, brother, you have to get back up there," Bianca said, a little irked by the situation.

Percy stood up. He held out a hand to Nico. "C'mon now," he said. Nico scowled. "I can stand up on my own, thank you very much." The redness of his face still hadn't subsided, unlike Percy.

"Let's go," Bianca said, turning around and walking off before them.

Percy and Nico looked at each other. Percy smiled. "Shall we?" he said. Nico nodded.

Percy walked a little ahead of Nico out of the room. Percy wanted to be all lovey-dovey with Nico, but he knew Nico didn't want that, so he settled for walking side by side with the other boy.

However, Nico did something that took Percy by surprise – as usual.

He grabbed Percy's arm and halted their walking. He slipped his hand into Percy's. He didn't say anything. He just flushed and bowed his head. A grin flashed on Percy's face. His fingers gently caressed Nico's hand. He squeezed it. It felt right. Percy breathed in. He tugged Nico's hand. "Let's go," Percy said, flashing the greatest smile he can to the greatest person he could ever meet in the whole universe.

Percy did something one last time before shutting up – just to be sure that everything that was happening was a hundred percent real.

With their hands still intertwined, Percy placed a hand on Nico's cheek and leaned in for a meaningful and very _real_ kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>THANKS FOR READING! Hope you liked this chapter. asdbansdkaskjdhjk. There may be people who, you know, want <em>MORE<em> to happen, buuuut, not just yet. =D**

**There's more to come, naturally. When will this end, you ask? I'm...I'm still thinking about it. XD**

****Oh, and reviews are VERRRYYY much appreciated, so keep them coming. =)****

****~ LC.****


	7. Chapter 7

**Seventh chapter! This is a bit…mushy? I guess. I mean, they _just_ got together, so mushiness is just bound to transpire. A plot is still very much present, mind you. (well, at least _I_ consider it a plot)**

**Oh, and I'd like to thank EVERYONE who reviewed, favorited or expressed _like_ for this in any way. I love all of you.**

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairing: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO)

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a little OOC. Sorry for random grammatical errors that are sure to appear!

* * *

><p><strong>Skinny Love<strong>

**Chapter 7**

Nico sitting on his lap as they explored each other's mouths was definitely a surreal event for Percy. It entailed a great amount of will power for him to keep his mind intact with reality. Nico was just too overwhelming a presence. They were on Percy's bed. His hands were around the other boy's waist while Nico's hands clutched tightly to the front of Percy's purple t-shirt. Percy already changed into his white gym shorts, so his legs were very much exposed.

It was a rather cold Thursday in New York, and the two boys were using each other's bodies as sources of warmth and energy.

The room was messy. A bunch of clothes lay on the floor. There were dirty socks underneath Percy's bed. His books were badly arranged on the study table. His school bag was wide open on the floor. Percy really wasn't a tidy person. Nico didn't attempt to clean, but it wasn't because he didn't hate the mess. It was because Percy never gave him the time to. Plus, Nico liked how the room smelled _a lot_ like Percy.

"God," Percy said, mid-kiss. "Where did you learn to kiss like that?" Nico beamed. He bit his lip in an unseemly manner. Percy rubbed two fingers underneath the sleeve of Nico's red t-shirt. His dark blue skinny jeans rubbed against the taller boy's legs. Opening his mouth, Nico said, "Just shut up and…and…" Percy knew what Nico wanted – and he wanted it too. Percy pushed his way back into Nico's moist lips. During the week they've been together, they learned how to kiss in a much smoother manner. It wasn't sloppy and uninhibited anymore. It was more sweet and intimate. However, Percy still had his unrepressed tendencies, which Nico appreciated from time to time.

December was going to be a good month. Percy told himself that. He started out the month in such a grand fashion characterized by the discovery that his unrequited love was not as unrequited as he thought. Something definitely told Percy that things were just going to get better and better.

He felt unbelievably stupid, though, for not realizing Nico's feelings sooner. He now knew what all those people meant when they said it was "obvious." Rachel's "you are _beyond_ dense" comment made absolute sense to him now. The meaning behind Thalia's "Nico turns rosy pink whenever you're around" remark became crystal clear as well.

Percy also felt a tad bit guilty. It was because of the fact that other than Bianca, no one else knew that he and Nico were together. Absolutely no one. Not Annabeth – which was incredibly awkward. Not Rachel – which was _also_ incredibly awkward. Not Grover, Travis and Connor – them knowing would entail a huge amount of awkward. Definitely not their parents – again, _painstakingly _awkward. Sally didn't know that Percy and Nico were having a sweet smooch session right at this moment. She thought they were just studying for an exam. It was possible though that she might suspect something, but Percy didn't know for sure. He hoped she didn't. He hoped Paul didn't either. According to Nico, on the other hand, his dad and his step-mom _knew_ about his feelings for Percy, _but_ Nico hasn't told them that they had actually gotten together. Nico was too chicken. They were both chicken, actually. They were afraid of getting fried with questions and squeals and awkward tension.

The night they got together, they mutually decided that they wouldn't tell anyone just yet. When they went back to the function room that night, they tried their best to keep away from each other. Percy wanted to ask so much, but he would just have to wait. He wanted to know what _exactly_ has been going this whole time. He also yearned to know how long Nico had feelings for him, because, well, he wanted to measure how stupid he actually was (for future reference). Also, Percy wanted to _tell_ Nico a few things. He hadn't told him yet about how Annabeth and Rachel _found out_. He hasn't even spoken a word about his trip to the di Angelo house. However, Percy hasn't really asked nor told Nico anything. The reason for that was simple: Nico's lips have been keeping him busy.

"Hey," Percy said, halting the kiss. "I think we need to talk about a few things." Nico cocked his eyebrow. His hair was a mess. His lips looked wet and attractive. Percy shook his head in an attempt to concentrate on what he wanted to say.

"W-w-what about?" Nico said, wiping his lips. He still stammered when he was around Percy. The level of Nico's comfort with their relationship was questionable to Percy. He was afraid that Nico didn't really want any of this, and was just going with the flow. However, knowing that Nico always kissed him with so much fondness reassured Percy that Nico really wanted this.

"I think we should sit down properly first," Percy said, grinning at the boy who sat on his lap. Nico blushed and gave Percy a light punch on the chest. He moved off of Percy and sat in a cross-legged position beside him.

Percy sighed deeply. "So," he began to say. "I think we should first talk about the fact that –"

"We've been doing nothing but make out?" Nico said, cutting Percy off. "I…I'm aware of that, but…I'm just…well…"

"Just what, Neeks?" Percy asked, sounding concerned.

"Well… I'm just afraid that if I talk… I'll say something stupid and you might…might…"

"Hate you? Nico. _That won't happen_. How many times do I have to tell you that? If I could spend a whole day just kissing you, I would. I'm serious." Nico blushed. Percy continued, "Plus, that wasn't even what I wanted to talk about." Nico looked at him quizzically. "I was _gonna_ bring up how we haven't told anyone about…you know…about_ us_."

"Oh… Yeah… _That_," Nico said. "Forgot about that." Nico nibbled the inside of his lip. He looked very apprehensive to speak on the subject.

Percy exhaled. "Well, if you don't want to talk 'bout it yet, I guess it's fine." Percy wasn't fully comfortable with talking about it yet either, so if Nico didn't want to, he was totally fine with it. "Let's just do something else," he added.

Nico smiled cheekily. He grabbed Percy's arm. Nico was about to kiss Percy again, but Percy put his hands on Nico's shoulders and stopped him.

"Hey, hey," Percy said, very enamored with Nico's sudden bravery. "When I said do something else, I didn't mean _that_." Nico's embarrassment registered on his face and his body. Percy felt a little sorry for him, so he planted a tiny kiss on the boy's soft cheek.

Nico's fingers clutched tightly to the sheets. "You didn't need to do that," he said.

"I wanted to," Percy said, making Nico even rosier. "Anyway," Percy continued. "I wanna ask you a few things." He paused to breathe in. "First, when did you start to like me?" It was a strange first question to ask but to Percy, it was really important that he knew.

Nico opened his mouth. He was hesitant to tell Percy, evidently. "Why…why do you ask?" he said.

"Because people have been calling me an oblivious idiot, and I want to know how long that was true," Percy said, with a playfully imposing tone.

Nico sighed. He opened his mouth and spoke.

"A year."

Percy's eyes widened. "W-w-w-w-_what_?"

"Yeah. A year. That's…that's why I was so p-pissed when you got together with Annabeth. It was actually just…just a crush you know until…until we actually had to be together everyday because of your girlfriend, and _my _best friend." He paused. Percy was listening intently. "When…when I figured out that it was _more_ than just a crush, I got so angry with myself and I just took it out on you…"

"Wow. I…I'm sorry –"

"No, no. Don't apologize," Nico said, "I stopped didn't I? When you said you thought I was mad at you before, I…I decided to change. Plus, it's over now. It's done. It's finished. It's…it's…"

Percy tackled Nico. He took the shorter boy in his arms and pushed him down on the bed. "_Oh_ _God_," Percy said. "I'll have to smother you even more to make up for lost time." Percy lifted his head from Nico's shoulder. He stared into the other boy's haunting irises. Nico breathed heavily. Percy leaned in and pressed his lips against Nico's. Nico wrapped his arms around Percy's neck, hanging on for dear life.

"_Percy_," Nico moaned. "St-stop…" Percy still kept going. "I… I thought…" Nothing could stop Percy's fervency. "…we were…gonna t-t-talk" A hand started to go under Nico's shirt. "P-Percy." Nico breathed heavily.

_Knock, knock._

"Boys?" It was Sally, of course. Percy ceased his attack on Nico's lips. He groaned. He got off of Nico and placed his hands over his face. He said a number of curse words under his breath before answering his mother.

"What mom?" he said, sounding frustrated.

"I just wanted to know if you were hungry," she said. Nico stood up and fixed himself. He put his clothes in order and he tried his best to make his hair look less messy. He took his jacket that was lying on the floor. After that, he approached the door and opened it up for Percy's mom.

"Hi Mrs. Blofis," Nico said. Sally wore a confused expression. "Accidentally locked the door. Sorry about that." He was trying to sound as normal as possible. He turned to Percy. "Well, I think I better go… It's…it's getting late." Percy lifted his head. He absolutely did _not_ want Nico to go.

"W-what?" Percy said. "N-no. You…you can stay. He can stay, right mom?"

"I'd rather not," Nico said, turning to Sally and shaking his head. "My dad must be worried sick." Percy gave him a disbelieving look.

Sally eyed both of them suspiciously. "It… It seems like Nico really has to go, Percy."

Nico nodded. "Yeah. I really, _really_ have to go now," he said. He turned to Percy again. "Bye Percy. I… I'm…" He bit his lip. "Bye." Sally moved out of his way to let him pass through. Percy just stared. He suddenly felt empty. He hated it every time Nico left.

For the past week, Nico's exits have always been abrupt. They didn't really talk at all when they were at school, so Percy wanted to savor every single one of their after school sessions. They were hard enough to initiate because of the _Annabeth might suspect _factor. There was even the _Grover, Travis and Connor want to hang out after school_ dilemma. Rachel's constant nagging didn't help either. Percy and Nico only had a handful of excuses left to give them after about a week of stalling. Even though it's been only been a short time, Percy already found secretly being with Nico to be _serious_ work. Their alone time was Percy's sole compensation, which is why Percy was so upset that Nico always seemed to go below minimum wage.

"Percy?" Sally said, sounding worried. "You look like you're about to cry, honey." Percy tensed up. He shook his head. "No, no," he said. "I'm…I'm…" What explanation could he give? The whole situation was suspicious. He knew his mom wasn't stupid. She _knew_ something was up.

"Nico's been coming over a lot lately," she said.

Percy gulped. "W-what makes you say that?" he said, as if he didn't know what she meant.

"Honey, I might be wrong but…is there…is there something going on between you two?" Percy felt like he was about to have an anxiety attack.

"Yeah," he said. "I…I mean _no_. We're friends. Really close friends. Great friends. Best friends. B—"

"Boyfriends?" His mom was just too perceptive sometimes.

"I…I… We're not… Not _really_…I…" Percy was at a loss for words. His mom approached his bed and sat down. She gave him a comforting look.

"Percy," she said. "I'm not going to give you a speech about how 'it's okay to be gay' and 'I'll love you no matter what' because I'm sure you know that already. So, tell me. Is there something going on between you two?" The warm look stayed on her face._ This is my mom_, Percy thought. _I can tell her anything._

"I… Well… Yeah." Percy bowed his head, feeling embarrassed. "I kind of…_love _him mom."

Sally smiled. "That's what I thought," she said. "Paul would be happy to hear about this."

Percy lifted his head. "Why do you think so?" he asked.

"Paul and I both had our suspicions, Percy. It wasn't such a well kept secret, you know." Percy flushed a bit realizing how he and Nico weren't exactly the best at concealing their affections. Percy was much worse than Nico, though.

Percy suddenly thought of something else to ask. "What'll _dad _think?" he said. The last time he saw his dad was three years ago when he dropped off a birthday present. He also called Percy occasionally – like three or four times a year – but their conversations were always awkward and distant.

"Your dad? Who cares, honey? He's off in Egypt or Spain or Greece doing whatever he's doing," Sally said, somewhat reassuringly. Percy smiled. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah. _Who cares?_"

Sally laughed. "You can tell Nico now that he doesn't have to leave early all the time," she said. Percy flushed. He scratched the back of his head. "Will do," he said.

Sally patted Percy's lap, gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked out of the room.

Percy sighed. He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. A few days ago, he thought everything would be resolved if he told Nico about his feelings, but Nico's reciprocation changed everything. They now had the problem of _coming out_. Telling all his friends was an easy enough thing to do – theoretically. There was just so much that Percy didn't want to ruin, and he felt like sharing what he had with Nico to the world was a little too risky.

Who knew what would happen?

* * *

><p>Well, because of Annabeth Chase's persistence, Percy may just find out.<p>

"Hi Percy," she said, standing with her lunch tray with a rosy-skinned Nico behind her. Percy, Grover, Travis and Connor looked at her as if she was some sort of Amazonian queen come to take over their territory. She sure looked like one. Her blonde hair was tied up in a bun. Her black trousers and her olive green tank top layered with a black leather jacket gave her an authoritative aura in comparison to Percy, Grover, Travis and Connor who were all in regular old casual clothing. It was like Annabeth _meant_ to dress up that way for this "occasion."

"H-hi Annabeth," Percy said, gulping in a large blob of spit. "Hey Nico," he continued. Nico looked frail and scared. His gray button-up shirt and blue denim shorts didn't do his aura any favors. Seeing the boy, though, made Percy want to tackle him, but he was well aware of the consequences if he did that.

"Can we sit?" she asked. Percy looked at his three friends who all nodded.

"Sure," Percy said. Annabeth smiled.

"Great," she said. "Someone took our seats" – an obvious lie. There were a few tables that Percy saw were unoccupied. Annabeth wanted to find something out. Percy was sure of it.

"Grover, move over," Annabeth said. "Nico's gonna sit next to Percy." Grover raised an eyebrow. Nico turned to Annabeth, getting wide-eyed. "W-what? I…I don't need to…" He turned to Grover. "You don't need to move, Grover."

"Oh yes he does," Annabeth said. "Move, move." Grover scooted obediently. Percy didn't know what she was really up to, but the thought already scared him. She pulled Nico to the seat. Nico put down his lunch tray and settled himself on the table. He took one look at Percy and mouthed, "I'm sorry." Percy nodded reassuringly.

Annabeth sat beside Travis and Connor, and right in front of Percy. "So," she said. "There are a few things I want to talk about." Percy felt nerves bundle up within him.

"N-no she doesn't," Nico said, laughing nervously. "C'mon, Annabeth, let's just eat. Your chicken'll get cold, see?"

"Quiet, Nico," she commanded. She turned to Percy. "I know he was at your house last night, Percy." Nico bowed his head. Percy's mouth froze open. The other three looked confused.

"H-h-h-how did you f-find out?" Percy said, unable to talk straight.

"Well, Nico told me he needed to stay home last night to help his dad with something, and I thought 'hey, why don't I just drop by?' So I did." Percy glanced at both Nico and Annabeth. "And," she continued. "When I came by, only his dad was home. No Nico. So I waited. He arrived at…I dunno 10PM?"

"_Then?"_ Travis said, butting in. Annabeth glared at him. He looked away and slumped back on his seat.

"Then, the truth just had to come out," Annabeth said, staring back at Percy. He swallowed. "So," she continued. "_Is there something you're not telling me?_"

"Yeah, Percy. Is there something you're not telling her?" Connor said, being nosy. Travis shouldered his brother, making him slump back as well.

"Nico was just...helping me with my…my homework. I…I asked him too. Yeah. I did. I really did," Percy said, rather unconvincingly. Annabeth gave him a look of derision.

"Ok," she said. "Then I want you do this:" she paused. Percy and Nico looked at her, wide-eyed and uneager. She continued, "Look at each other. Just look." _What?_ Percy thought. _That's what she wants us to do?_

"Umm…Okay?" Percy said. He turned to Nico. "Nico, c'mon." Nico faced him slowly. He bit his lip. His eyes looked scared. He opened his mouth. Percy's eyes darted straight to it. His mouth fell open. _Not good_, he thought. He turned to Annabeth. "Okay, we're done. We're done, right?"

Annabeth shook her head. "I'm still not convinced," she said.

"Annabeth, Nico was really just helping me out with homework," Percy said. _Liar, liar, pants on fire._

"Why didn't you ask _me_ for help?" she said.

"Well…because you're…you're my _ex_," Percy said. It seemed like a feasible explanation.

Annabeth pursed her lips. "I still want more proof that –"

"Enough! Enough, enough, enough! _I was at Percy's house because I wanted to see him_, okay! I went there to make out with him. I went there to make out with my _fucking_ boyfriend! You happy now, Annabeth?"

They all fell silent. Other people didn't seem to notice, thankfully. Nico was scary when he screamed. His eyes were like scythes that could send you straight to hell. However, Annabeth, who appeared to be very much accustomed to Nico's deathly outbursts, smiled and then laughed hysterically.

"_Knew it_," she said, cackling like a witch. "You told him. Oh my God, Percy, how long? _How long_?" She stood up and walked to Percy's side of the table. She circled each of her arms around the two boys' necks and pulled them into a mini group hug.

Percy spaced out a little. Sure, Annabeth's reaction was good – it was an expected reaction, actually – but, he didn't dare look at the other three just yet.

"_Guys,_" Annabeth continued, tightly squeezing the heads of her best friend and _his_ boyfriend. "You should've told me."

"You should've told _us_ too, Percy. What the hell man?" It was Grover. "If my best friend suddenly switches to guys, I'd appreciate if that best friend told me."

"Yeah," Travis said.

"Ditto," Connor added.

They didn't seem angry or disgusted. They seemed…amused. Annabeth let Percy and Nico go. She gave Nico a kiss on the cheek. "Both of you are idiots," she said.

She went back to her seat, looking very satisfied. Percy looked around the table. Grover, Travis and Connor had smiles on their faces. Nico blushed like an embarrassed schoolgirl.

"You guys aren't grossed out at all?" Percy said.

"Grossed out?" Grover said. "Dude, we live in the 21st century. The gays are everywhere!"

"Everywhere!" Travis and Connor said, simultaneously.

Percy managed a tiny smile. "Thanks guys," he said.

"I dub thee, Percico!" Travis said with a fake British accent.

"No, no. We shall call them Per_nico_!" Connor said, arguing with Travis.

"Why not just Percy-Nico?" Grover suggested.

"_Because that's lame,_" the twins said, in unison. Grover chuckled and shrugged. Annabeth laughed along. Percy managed to laugh too. Nico, well, was never really a fan of those kinds of jokes.

"Hey," Percy said, casually taking Nico's hand. "You okay?" Nico nodded.

Annabeth sighed. "Make sure not to treat him like a girl, Percy," she said. Percy turned to her and nodded. He knew what she meant, and he was going to try his best _not_ to make Nico feel like a princess.

"L-let go, Percy," Nico said, pertaining to his hand. "People might…might see." Percy pouted, but he obeyed nonetheless.

"Aww," Connor said, sarcastically. "They're so sweet."

"Yeah. Totally," Travis said. "Makes me wanna jump on a unicorn." They all chuckled.

"So," Annabeth said. "When are you telling Rachel?"

Percy let out a puff of air. "Do we have to?" he said, grouchily.

"Yes, you do," Annabeth said. "If she finds out late, you guys are _dead_." That was very true, but Percy still wanted to keep the secret from _someone_.

"Okay," Percy said. It was a white lie.

"You promise?" Annabeth said. Her face signaled disbelief. Percy gulped. He was a bad liar. He really was.

"Yeah," he said. "I promise." He turned to Nico, who turned to him as well. "Right, Nico?" Percy continued. Nico nodded.

"You better," Annabeth said. He didn't want to lie to Annabeth, but Percy just didn't feel any obligation to tell Rachel (or even Annabeth) anything. She _did_ help them get together, in a way, but it was _their_ love life – not Rachel's, not Annabeth's.

Percy feigned a smile and nodded.

Honing his acting skills was indeed a grueling task.

* * *

><p>What wasn't a grueling task was pushing Nico down on his couch and giving the boy's tender mouth a good tongue bath. It was instinct. It came <em>naturally<em>.

"Mmmm," Nico whimpered as Percy worked on his lips. The parting of the lips was done in a slow and steady pace. Nico, to Percy's surprise, was more playful than usual. He grinded his teeth on Percy's lower lip. His tongue moved slowly and teasingly inside Percy's mouth. Percy flashed a grin, still continuing the kiss of course. He leisurely unfastened the two uppermost buttons of Nico's shirt, making him have more access to Nico's neck and collarbone. After school was truly a time when Percy was energized the most – at least for the past week. This was their routine: going to Percy's apartment together and sharing soft yet ardent kisses. Pretty much it.

It had been a long day – with their friends finding out about them and all – so their craving for each other was stronger than ever. Percy's hands were traveling Nico's body, although their mileage was very limited to a few places. Percy wanted to take things slow, but not _overly_ slow that they weren't allowed to fool around a little.

Again, they decided to postpone facing their problems. It wasn't actually that much of a problem, per se. It was more of something they were uncomfortable doing. Rachel Elizabeth Dare could be a little nosy sometimes so telling her about their relationship would entail _a lot_ of questions. At least Annabeth was a little uncomfortable knowing the details of the relationship, so they didn't need to answer anything embarrassing from her. Rachel would definitely be a much different case.

"W-w-where's your mom?" Nico said, struggling to speak because of Percy's assail.

"Out," Percy said. "Out _for long_." He continued ravaging Nico.

"Oh," Nico said.

Percy's phone, which he had abruptly placed on the coffee table beforehand, started ringing.

"Aren't you gonna answer that?" Nico said while Percy nipped his collarbone.

"Leave it," Percy said, moving to Nico's neck. He bit it. He wanted to leave a mark.

Nico cried out in elation. "St-stop that," he said. "N-not there. N-no hickeys, please." Percy lifted his head and pulled a face. Nico scowled. "Haven't I told you not to make that face?"

Percy sulked. "But you told me to stop," he said. "That depresses me." It was all a joke, of course. Percy just wanted to make fun of Nico.

His phone rang again. "Answer it," Nico said. "And get the fuck off me." He pushed Percy away from him. Percy toppled to the floor.

"_Ouch_," he said, whining. His phone kept ringing. "I'm still not gonna get that," he continued, turning to Nico.

"Well I'm not gonna get it either," Nico said, indignantly. Percy pouted. Nico crossed his arms. "You're really getting on my nerves," he said. "I may have to rethink our relationship."

Percy frowned. "_What?" _He climbed back on the sofa and grabbed Nico's shoulders. "Are you serious?" he said, being all paranoid android.

Nico bit his lip. "Like I'd ever do _that_," he said. Percy grinned. His phone stopped ringing. He pulled Nico into an embrace.

"You scared me there for a second," Percy said. He really was. He already had many doubts about the two of them, and hearing Nico say that made him genuinely frightened. "Don't say that ever again."

"Don't be a fucking cheese ball ever again," Nico said, gripping tightly to the back of Percy's shirt. "Seriously, it's too much," he added. Percy buried his nose in Nico's hair. He took in the scent of the Italian boy's shampoo. It was incredible – like freshly picked lavender. Percy's hair always smelled like the ocean for some unexplainable reason, so Nico's hair was a brilliant contrast.

"Percy?" Nico said. "Hey, Percy. Someone's…someone's knocking." There _was_ someone knocking, very loudly at that. Percy faced the door. _Weird_, he thought. _No one rang the doorbell… This must be a neighbor._

Percy stood up, leaving Nico on the sofa. He approached the door, still very confused as to who it might be.

Regrettably, Percy didn't ask who it was before he opened. It was, alas, a person who both Percy and Nico didn't want to see at the moment.

"Hey, Perseus."

_Oh fuck._

Standing before Percy was the feisty redhead Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

"Rachel!" Percy shouted, trying to warn Nico of the presence of the girl who wore a blue shirt with a painting of an eye and skinny jeans that emphasize her legs.

_Does God want me to come out to _everyone _today?_

Rachel arched an eyebrow. "Errkay? What was that for?" she said. She shrugged when Percy didn't reply. "Anyway," she continued. "We have to talk."

"W-w-what for?" Percy said. He hoped Nico was able to stow himself away somewhere.

"You know _exactly_ why," Rachel said, inviting herself into the apartment. Percy closed the door.

"How'd you get up here?" Percy asked as he looked around the living room. _Nico's gone_, he thought.

"A kind fellow let me in," she said. "Good thing he wasn't a sex predator. I called you, you know. You weren't answering, so I had no choice but to barge in here." _This girl's logic is fucked up_. Rachel settled herself on the sofa.

"So," she began. "Can you tell me _why_ you haven't told Nico yet? Hm? It's been two weeks. Haven't you grown any balls yet, kid?" She looked at Percy with a formidable expression. Percy gulped.

"W-well… Umm… I… I haven't found the right time." Percy scratched the back of his head and started laughing uneasily. He remained standing just inches away from Rachel.

"Seriously, Percy. Don't you want this shit to end already?" Annoyance was apparent in her tone. "Do you need more advice or something?"

_Yeah, sure I do_.

"I…I don't know what to say," Percy said.

"You _do_ know what to say, Perseus. You're just being a massive yellow-belly."

_You have no idea._

"Look, say 'I love you.' C'mon, say it, Jackson." Percy obeyed – awkwardly so. "Now was that so hard?" she said.

Rachel rose from the couch. "Look," she said, moving closer to Percy. "I told Nico I wouldn't tell anyone _but_, I think knowing this will give you the push you need."

_Uh oh._

"Ok, Nico… Well… Nico _kinda_ has f—"

They heard a loud yelp coming from Percy's room. Percy turned, his eyes widening. Then they heard several bumps, like there were a bunch of rocks falling on the ground.

"What _was_ that?" Rachel said, looking very puzzled.

Percy faced her and waved his hands in the air. "Nothing, nothing. That was nothing, really. What were you gonna say? What's gonna give me the _push_?"

The words 'you're mental' were written all over Rachel's face. "What do you _mean_ it's nothing?" she said. "Someone's in there Percy. Didn't you hear?"

She pushed past Percy to approach the door. Panicking, Percy ran ahead of her and blocked the doorway. "Hey, hey," Percy said. "I'm sure it was nothing, okay? I swear."

Rachel's eyebrow arched. "You're hiding something," she said.

Percy gulped. "W-w-w-why would I h-h-hide anything? What's there to hide? There's nothing. Nothing. Might've been a bird or something. Or a raccoon!"

"Seriously? A raccoon? Here?" she said, very unconvinced. "Look, if you've got nothing to hide, just get out of the way." She stared at Percy with her deadly snake eyes. Sweat trickled down Percy's face. _I'm not ready for this, _he thought.

"_Out of the way_, loser," she said, pushing Percy away from the door. She was really strong. She turned the doorknob and Percy swallowed. He stood right behind her.

"Oh… W-… Nico?" She went inside. Percy followed her, feeling nervous. Nico was sitting on the floor with a pile of books around him. They appeared to have fallen from the shelf, which explains the loud bumps. Nico looked at Rachel with his eyes widened. He stood up stiffly. Nico stammered, "Th-the b-books…they…they f-f-fell…tried getting something from…from…" Percy bit his lip. _This is the worst_, he thought.

"What are you…what are you doing here? In Percy's room. On the floor. With…books." Rachel sounded more confused than ever. Nico flushed. Rachel turned to Percy. "Percy, you've got an explanation for this?"

Percy's mouth froze open. His eyes darted to Nico then back to Rachel. His face started to heat up. He was quite sure he was turning into a tomato.

Rachel took a look at both of them. They were quiet. The boys were both red. Nico bowed his head. Percy was looking straight ahead with his mouth half-open.

Rachel had an epiphany. "_No,_" she said, flashing a grin. "Are you two…? Have you already…? _Oh my God!_" She let out a loud squeal of delight. This was exactly what Percy and Nico wanted to avoid.

"This is _perfect_," she continued. "Why didn't you tell me? _Oh my God. _Does anyone _else_ know?"

Percy and Nico's eyes met. "Well…" Percy said. "Actually… You're…you're thelastonewetold." He muttered the last few words.

"What?" Rachel said, not understanding what he said.

" You're…"

"_I'm?_"

"The last one we told."

Rachel suddenly frowned. She lifted her arm and slapped Percy's arm really hard. "Bastard!" she fumed.

"Ouch," Percy said as the angry redhead attacked his arm. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"_We're sorry, Rachel,_" Nico said. Rachel scowled at him.

"Hmph," she began. "Don't do this to me ever again, you two." _Yes, my queen,_ Percy thought. He didn't dare say it out loud, though.

After Rachel ranted some more about how angry she was about her knowing last, she asked a few more questions about their relationship. They did this with Percy and Nico sitting on the bed and Rachel sitting on Percy's desk chair. First, she asked how exactly they got together. Percy told her everything, and she responded by grinning and squealing like a maniac. She then asked if Percy's parents knew. Nico got flustered hearing Percy's reply to the question because it was his first time hearing about it as well. However, when Rachel asked whether they'd _done it_ yet, Nico got even more flustered. "_No we have not_," was what he said, very indignantly. Percy laughed at Nico's reaction. Rachel asked a few more questions that were a bit easier to answer like "Annabeth knows?" "Grover knows?" "The twins know?" "Is Percy still an idiot?" and "Why are you blushing, Nico?" The answers: Yes, yes, yes, _definitely_ yes and "he's just embarrassed."

It was a relief for both of them when Rachel decided to leave.

Percy was exhausted. Being bombarded with questions was, decidedly, something he disliked very much.

"Finally," Percy said, standing by the doorway. Rachel had _just _left. It was 10PM and they had lost a great amount of time that could've been spent canoodling.

"Yeah, finally," Nico said. He had a tiny smile on his face.

"Can I ask you something?" Percy said. Nico looked at him, a little bemused. "What?" he said.

"How did Rachel find out you liked me?" he said, genuinely wanting to know.

"I should ask you the same question," Nico said.

Percy put an arm around Nico's shoulders and laughed. "Don't change the subject," he said. Nico chuckled.

"Well," Nico said. "She…she kinda… Umm… It's _embarrassing_." He placed both of his hands on his face. Percy smiled. If it was embarrassing, Percy wanted to know about it all the more.

"She…she found my sketch pad…" Nico's voice was muffled.

Percy looked puzzled. "Sketch pad? What sketch pad?"

"My…sketch pad…" Percy didn't get what Nico was saying. Nico put down his hands and stared at Percy with an angry yet flustered expression. "What else would there be in a sketch pad?" he said, disdainfully.

"A…drawing?" Percy said, still not getting a full grasp of what Nico was trying to say.

"A drawing of…?" Nico said.

"A drawing of…of…" Percy paused and grinned. "_Of me?"_

"_Bingo_," Nico exclaimed.

"I didn't even know you're an artist," Percy said, truthfully. He was still smiling ridiculously.

"I…I'm not. Annabeth's a lot better. You should see her draw a house. I…I just like drawing…people…s-sometimes." Nico stammered. "And…dead stuff," he continued. _Dead stuff? Huh? What? _"But…well…that sketch pad was special…per se." Percy was very, _very_ amused, and it was written all over his face.

"I _gotta_ see this sketch pad," he said.

"I… No. I…I burned it," Nico said. Percy raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?" he said in disbelief. "You _burned _it?"

"Y-yeah," Nico said. Percy would've believed him, but the mischievous smile that appeared on his face implied otherwise. Seeing this, Percy beamed. He leaned in to place a kiss on the other boy's cheek.

Nico sighed. "I still can't believe this is happening, you know," he said. "Just…just last week, I thought I had absolutely _no_ chance with you…and now…"

"Here we are," Percy said. It was also very hard for him to believe any of this was really happening. He remembered how frustrated he was when he thought that Nico was in love with Annabeth and that there was a zero probability that Nico liked him.

Percy changed the subject. "Do you wanna spend the night?" he said. Nico bit his lip. Worry registered on his face. "I…" he began. "I…I didn't bring a change of clothes."

Percy pursed his lips. "Hmm," he uttered as he pondered for a solution. "Oh, " he continued, flashing a smile. "Easy. You could borrow some of my clothes."

Nico wrinkled his eyebrows. He examined Percy from top to bottom. "Won't…won't those be a little too big?" he said.

"So?" Percy replied. Nico wearing his clothes was an image that drove Percy crazy. He thought of how big his orange shirt would be on Nico and how his collarbone would be exposed in a very alluring fashion. He imagined how he would make Nico get dressed in a loose-fitting pair of shorts and how they, upon wearing, would descend slowly, making Percy see Nico's undergarments. It was a very bizarre thing to imagine – especially since Nico was a _guy_ and a very aloof guy at that. Seeing it actually happen, though, would really be a dream come true for Percy.

Nico snorted. "Whatever," he said. "Sure. Why the hell not?" He was trying too hard not to sound eager. Percy put both his arms around him. "_Lovely,_" he said, jokingly. Nico grunted in response.

"I'll have to call dad," Nico said, still being embraced by Percy. "Persephone might get worried."

"Oh…right," Percy said, letting go of Nico. "We still haven't told your dad and your step mom about us." They were both very aware of their family situations already.

"Do you want to?" Nico said.

"Well…" Percy started. "_My _parents know, so…I think it's best if your parents know too. Besides, your dad knows you liked me…right?" Nico nodded.

Percy chuckled. "I'll ask you about how _that_ happened later," he said. Nico snickered. "It's a funny story actually." Percy smiled. _Of course it is,_ he thought.

"Okay then," Percy said. "To my room?"

"_After_ I call my parents, moron," Nico said.

"Then _go_. Call them already," Percy said, impatiently.

Nico stalled a little before he actually called them. When he did, he told them that he was staying with _Annabeth_ not Percy. His dad was okay with that, it seemed. Percy assumed it was because Annabeth was Nico's _best friend_ so it was probably normal. However, lying still made his stomach a little queasy.

"Are done yet?" Percy said while Nico talked to his dad.

Nico gestured his hand, trying to make Percy shut up. "Okay," he said. "Okay dad. I will. Yeah…. Yeah, sure." He sighed. "Yeah dad. Okay. Bye." He put down the phone. "Now I'm done."

Percy motioned a hand towards his room. "After you?" he said.

"Yeah. After me," Nico said, rolling his eyes and walking en route to Percy's humble abode. The proud owner of the room followed suit.

Percy will just have to worry about meeting Nico's parents some other time. Now, he'll only have to worry about the prospect of not being able to sleep due to the fact that there was going to be gorgeous pale boy next to him the whole night.

Though, in all honesty, Percy wasn't _really _worried about that. Not one bit. He was, in the simplest of terms, _ecstatic._ In the most complicated of terms, the entirety of his atomic structures – from his mind to his body to his soul – were adrenalized exponentially by the hypnotically adorable and mesmerizing Nico di Angelo.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Is there anyone dissatisfied with the events? Hahahahahaha. Chapter 8 this weekend (probably)! =)<strong>

**~ LC.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, hey, hey. A new chapter has arrived. So yeah, I have one more plotline planned out before I this fanfic ends. I'll probably have around 4-6 more chapters. **

**Anyway. Off to chapter 8! Let the fluff begin.**

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairing: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO)

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a little OOC. Sorry for random grammatical errors that are sure to appear!

* * *

><p><strong>Skinny Love<strong>

**Chapter 8**

"I don't know why I have to dress like this," Percy said. He felt like a pretentious ass. The long sleeve crimson Prada dress shirt and black leather jeans looked laughable on him, he thought. However, meeting Nico's parents was apparently an occasion that _needed_ absurdly priced clothing.

The knowledge that the two boys were in a romantic relationship had already been disclosed with Nico's parents. They took it really well, Nico stated. He didn't tell Percy the exact details. "They just really, really want to meet you," was what he said. He also said that it was something that _had _to happen immediately. Nico _just_ told them yesterday – a Saturday, and they _insisted_ that Percy go meet them as soon as possible.

"Don't get me started," Nico assented, pertaining to Percy's comment. They set a mirror in Percy's room for the occasion. Nico was responsible for dressing Percy up. He himself was wearing a white dress shirt with a gray sweater vest. His pants were tight and gray. "Persephone just…just likes it a lot when people are dressed up, okay?" He fixed Percy's shirt collar. His hand movements were stiff and agitated.

"But I'm sure she'll _love_ the way I dress," Percy said as he examined himself on the mirror.

Nico snorted. "Trust me. She won't," he said. "She doesn't even like the way _I_ dress."

"Impossible," Percy said, making Nico grin.

"Possible," Nico responded. "Very possible." He put his hand in Percy's pocket.

"What are you doing there?" Percy asked. The way Nico moved his hand in there was just _wrong_. Percy swallowed heavily. He remembered how much he had to hold back when Nico slept over the other night. He made Nico wear his loose gym shorts that had his last name sewn on it. It was, decidedly, the most erotic thing he ever laid eyes on. It stirred him up. He didn't sleep a wink, just like he anticipated. Nico, however, was a gigantic sleepyhead.

"Just checking if there are any coins or rocks in 'ere," Nico explained. He wiggled his hand a little more before taking it out. Percy sighed in relief. Nico raised an eyebrow.

"Where did you even get these clothes?" Percy said, diverting Nico's attention.

"It's rented. I know a guy." Apparently, Nico had some underground designer clothes-renting syndicate he was attached to. Well, it wasn't really as underground as it was a few blocks away from his apartment building. It wasn't really a syndicate either. It was more like a Hispanic guy who had connections in Paris.

"There," Nico said as he finished sprucing Percy up. "You look…" He ended the sentence with a blush.

"Handsome? Dapper? _Hot_?"

"Adequate. You look adequate," Nico said, being coy. Percy flashed his finest boyish smile. He leaned in for a kiss.

"Ah," Nico uttered, pleasurably. As Percy moved away, Nico burrowed his head on his boyfriend's chest. He exhaled deeply. "I hope this turns out well," he said.

Percy slowly ran his fingers through Nico's hair. "It'll be fine," he said. "If their taste is in any way similar to yours –"

"_I'm sure they'll love me_. Yeah, yeah. You've said that like a million times already, Perce." He sighed. "But…okay, they _probably_ will. _Probably_."

"No, not probably," Percy said. "_Definitely_." He was pretty confident with himself even though what lay ahead was a giant blur to him.

Nico lifted his head. "You've lost your humility," he complained. "_What have I done?_" Percy laughed with matching head tilt. Nico sneered. "Just don't be too confident, okay?" he said. Percy gave Nico a peck on the lips.

"Don't be too negative," Percy said.

Positivity was the name of the game. Percy could only think positively about his meeting with Nico's dad and step-mom. Sure, he was nervous, but he was really excited as well. He was _meeting Nico's parents._ Usually, this only happens late in a relationship, but they're doing it _now_, on this very day – a Sunday and only a little more than a week into their relationship. The thought made Percy's heart flutter. Trite as it may sound, but knowing Nico was allowing this to happen made Percy feel that he was really and _truly_ loved.

* * *

><p>Persephone was a rather tall lady who had milky white skin, chocolate brown eyes and long curly black hair. Her facial features weren't similar to Nico's at all, so you could tell that they weren't really related.<p>

"So _this _is Percy," she said, as Nico led Percy into the living room. Persephone sat on the large black couch at the center. Her colorful bohemian dress flowed down to her feet. A man was sitting beside her. It was the same man Percy saw sitting beside Nico during the event a week ago. It was his dad, evidently.

Dr. Di Angelo, like Nico, had intensely white skin. His hair was jet-black and nicely cut. His face was clear of facial hair. He was wearing a tombstone gray button-up shirt and black slacks. Percy noticed that his eyes were a large amount of _scary_. They made him look powerful and deathly. Their pitch-black color made them all the more frightening. His arched eyebrow did nothing to help alleviate his chilling aura. At the event last week, Percy hadn't really noticed how intimidating Dr. Di Angelo looked since he was too busy looking at Nico that time. Percy was starting to get nervous.

_Think positive,_ Percy thought. _Positive, positive, positive._

"Well, well, well." Bianca di Angelo entered the room. "Finally here, hm?" she said, sitting beside her parents. "Ready to get grilled?"

"Shut up, Bianca," Nico said. He took Percy's arm and pulled him to the couch on the left. They sat down. Percy had his back straight. He felt like this was the type of family that required good posture.

"Now, now," Dr. Di Angelo said. "Don't need to be all formal. Relax." He didn't sound as scary as he looked, but Percy's fear of him still didn't reduce. His eyes were just too damn sinister. Percy relaxed _a bit_.

Persephone was examining Percy. Her eyes darted to Percy's facial features. She nodded a few times. She looked at him from top to bottom. A smile appeared on her face. "Chose well, Nico," she said. Percy did a mental sigh of relief.

Nico smiled. "I… Yeah." He bowed his head. His face turned red. Percy wanted to take his hand, but the situation made it seem like an inappropriate action.

"I'm really tired of seeing that face," Bianca said.

"I think it's sweet," Persephone said.

"I can live without it," Nico's dad declared.

"I mean, every _single_ time someone even _mentions_ Percy, you turn bright red! What's up with that?" Bianca said, sounding aggravated.

"It _is_ getting a little too much, son," Nico's dad agreed.

Nico scowled. "So _that's_ what we're doing now? Grilling me? I _thought_ you guys wanted to talk to Percy," he fumed. Bianca snorted. Dr. Di Angelo chuckled. Persephone prepared to speak.

"We shall," she said, eyeing Percy. The di Angelo family sure knew how to make an optimistic and confident Percy turn nervous and fidgety. It's long been established that Nico could very well accomplish that. Now, the other three di Angelos were proving to have that ability as well.

"So," Persephone continued. "Full name?"

Percy opened his mouth. _Am I…am I forgetting my whole name? Shit…. Who am I?_

"Per…" _Nico, help me_. "Perseus." _There. First name down._ "J-Jackson."

"Age?"

"S-seventeen."_ Easy._

"Birthday?"

"August 18."

"Did you hear that Bianca? Write that down," Persephone said. Bianca rolled her eyes. "I'll keep it in mind," she said.

"Okay," Dr. di Angelo said, making Percy's attention dart straight to him. "You're my son's…boyfriend, right?" Persephone smiled upon hearing the question.

Percy gulped. Nico was the one to speak. "_Dad_," he said. "I think we all know the answer to that."

"I just want to hear it from him," his father clarified. His Stygian eyes penetrated Percy's soul.

There was only one thing Percy could and _should _say.

"I am," he professed.

Dr. Di Angelo nodded. He scratched his chin afterwards. "When Nico told me he was…_in love_ with…with another _boy_, I was very shocked."

"You were more than just shocked, honey," Persephone interjected. "You couldn't speak for a _day_."

"Yes, yes," Nico's dad said. "_But_, I realized that it didn't really matter that my son was gay. However…" _There's a however_. "…what bothered me was the way Nico became very discomfited because of you."

"I…" Percy began. "I'm sorry."

"You _should_ be sorry," Bianca interjected. Persephone told her to shush. Percy saw that Nico's dad was about to say something.

"As I was saying," Nico's dad continued. "I was bothered, _but_ now that you're together…I trust that…that he'll be… How do you say this? _Better? _Is that the right word for it?"

"I think _calmer_ is a good word for it," Persephone said.

"Yes. Right. _Calmer_." Dr. Di Angelo rose from his seat. He stood up and held a hand out, which Percy took upon standing up. They shook hands. Percy felt gratified, although, he was troubled by the fact that Dr. Di Angelo's hand was cold as ice.

"How long will we be having you here?" Persephone asked, as Percy and Dr. Di Angelo sat back down. The atmosphere was very awkward.

"Not long!" Nico said, a little loudly. "Percy'll be gone in a jiff."

Percy smiled. "Y-yeah," he said, stammering. "Won't be long. I need to get back home by lunch time, actually." They were both lying, though.

"Oh," Persephone said. "That's too bad." She paused. "Well then. We need to ask him as many questions as humanly possible." Percy's eyes widened.

Dr. Di Angelo started the question barrage. "What are your hobbies?" he asked. Percy's answer: "I like… Swimming." He did, although he can't remember the last time he got into a pool. "I like meeting new people. Though…I don't know if that counts as a hobby. I play video games often. But…I…I just like hanging out with people mostly." Dr. Di Angelo gave Percy a few nods. "Interesting," he said, before asking his next question: "Do you read?" It was as if Percy was illiterate or something – though Percy knew that wasn't what he really meant. "Occasionally," Percy replied. "I read fantasy novels…sometimes." Dr. Di Angelo nodded again and said, "Just like Nico," he said. "My son loves those spaceship books." Nico retorted, "They're not _spaceship _books, dad. They're _sci-fi _novels." Percy managed a laugh. He'll have to ask Nico about those books later.

Bianca didn't ask any questions. She was more of a sarcastic commentator during the whole conversation. The words idiot, moron, stupid, dumdum, jerk, blockhead and dunce were used a lot. She even used the word _ignoramus._ Percy, instead of finding it hurtful, found itfunny, actually.

Persephone's questions were easy enough to answer, at least for Percy. However, Nico always blocked Percy from speaking. Her first question: Where did Percy live? Nico cut in. "Y-you d-don't need to answer that Percy," he said. Persephone then asked what Percy likes about Nico. Percy had a concrete, although cheesy, answer to that question. He would just say: "Everything." There wasn't really anything he disliked about Nico. Nico never let him say it though. Persephone also asked when Percy _started _liking Nico. Nico didn't want to know that, evidently. When Percy was about to speak, Nico interjected: "He doesn't want to answer that, Persephone." Persephone's reactions to Nico's obstructions were usually giggles and playful eye rolling.

When Persephone asked whether "they were using protection," implying of course that they were _doing it_, Nico and Percy were both speechless. Percy felt like laughing hysterically. Nico looked like he wanted to scream. The question was only set aside when Bianca said, "They haven't hade sex yet, Persephone – trust me."

The questions only stopped when it was already 11AM and almost time for Percy to leave. Nico went along with him. The flustered boy just couldn't really be around his family at the moment.

"_Whew," _Percy exclaimed. They were in the elevator. "That was _intense_," he continued.

"I'm so sorry Percy," Nico said. "But…but I…I told you didn't I? They're difficult. Pretty…pretty much like me, you know?"

"Hey," Percy said. The elevator went _ting_. "You're not difficult." He took Nico's hand, and tugged him out of the elevator shaft as they arrived on the ground floor.

They walked slowly toward the exit. "Have I told you how happy I am that we did this?" Percy said, still holding Nico's hand.

"W-what do you mean?" Nico asked.

"What I mean is, I'm really glad I met your parents," Percy said. "It's a big step."

Nico blushed. "R-really? You th-think so? I…Well…Maybe it is," he stammered. "Whatever."

"_God_, I love you," Percy said, giggling. These were truly the times when he lacked inhibition. Nico punched Percy's chest. They pushed past the exit doors in a moment's time.

As they stood on the sidewalk, Percy sighed. "So…we go back to my place, right?" he said.

Nico bowed his head and shrugged. "Where else?" he said. Percy smiled. He felt like he hadn't kissed Nico in forever, so he let go of Nico's hand, held the boy's soft cheeks and leaned in for a kiss. It always felt great to do that. Nico's cheeks would always heat up, and Percy would always smile in the middle of the kiss.

Percy pulled away. Nico glared at him. "Percy," he said. "You really shouldn't do that in public." Percy pouted. He pulled Nico into an embrace.

"C-can we go ride a cab now, p-please?" Nico asked.

"Yeah," Percy said. "In a while." He let out a heavy sigh.

Nico kept quiet. Percy didn't care that there a few people giving them weird looks. He didn't let go of Nico. He felt Nico's hands grab on to his back.

"I…I hate you so much, Percy," Nico said, weakly.

Percy grinned.

His reply: "Of course you do, Nico. Of course you do."

* * *

><p>Percy and Nico slumped back on Percy's couch as soon as they got to the apartment. Percy was tired and hungry. Nico probably felt the same.<p>

Percy closed his eyes for a moment. He took several deep breaths. "Tired," he said. "You wanna eat something, Nicky? We've got some bagels in the fridge."

Nico didn't answer. "Nico?" Percy said. He felt a weight on his shoulder. Nico dozed off, apparently. "Nico!" Percy exclaimed. "Don't sleep." Percy didn't want to waste their time together just sleeping.

Nico opened his eyes. "Huh? What?" he said, crankily. "So tired, Percy. Let me…" He yawned. "Let me sleep." He closed his eyes again. Percy sighed.

"_Niiico_," he whined. "Nico, Nico, Nico." He pushed Nico off of him, forcing the slumbering boy to lie flat on the couch. Percy managed to take off Nico's sweater vest and undo some of the buttons to his shirt. He positioned himself on top of Nico and started licking inappropriate places – a.k.a. Nico's neck and collarbone.

Nico managed to say something during all this. "Percy, st –" Percy blocked Nico's last word with a full-on attack on Nico's mouth. Percy pushed inside the boy's swollen lips. He felt Nico breathing heavily under him. Nico started kissing back. He parted his lips and allowed Percy to explore its crevices. Percy halted for a moment to take a breather, but then he instantly resumed his pleasurable assault.

_If I could have you for lunch, I would,_ Percy thought.

"O-okay…okay," Nico whimpered. "I'm awake. I'm awake." Percy bit Nico's bottom lip. He gave Nico one more slow and soft kiss before saying, "Thought so."

Percy sat up, feeling slight satisfaction. Nico sat up as well. "So what did you want to do, huh?" he said. "This better be good." Percy let out a puff of air. He did _not_ know what he wanted to do, really. He just knew he didn't want to waste his time sleeping. He pondered on the notion.

"Wanna play some Assassin's Creed or something?" he said. Nico frowned then groaned. "You wanted me to stay awake to do _that_?" he complained.

"Not necessarily," Percy said. "I just wanna do _something_." He put an arm around Nico's shoulders. He pulled Nico close. "Maybe you wanna go out again?" he said.

"No, definitely no," Nico said.

"What if I said it was a date?" Percy said, slyly.

Nico snorted. "Like that'd ever happen," he said. Percy wrinkled his eyebrows. "Wouldn't even think of it," Nico added.

_Huh? Why doesn't he want to go on a date with me?_

"Why not?" Percy asked, a little hurt.

Nico returned Percy's gaze with eyes broadened. "Why?" he asked, sounding surprised. "Do you…do _you_ want to?"

_Of course I do._

Percy only stared at Nico, expecting a good explanation for what he said.

"I just… _A date_? S-seriously? _Us?_ Go on…_a date_? I don't know how that'll work, Percy. I'm not…I'm not some girly girl, you know?"

_Oh._

Nico turned red.

_He's embarrassed. Of course._

Percy put his arms around Nico's torso, pulling the flustered boy's further so his head was on Percy's chest. "Then let's _not_ call it a date," Percy said. "And it doesn't have to be today."

"_Not a date_… I…I like that," Nico said.

"Yeah. I'll take you out on _not a date_," Percy said. "Or…you could say _you're_ taking me out. Whatever. Who cares?"

"When…when'll this _not a date_ happen?" Nico asked. He clenched his fists on his lap.

Percy thought for a bit. Today was out of the option. School nights weren't a good idea either. _Should I do it this Friday?_ he thought. He contemplated a little more. _Yeah. Friday sounds good_, he decided.

"Friday?" he said, releasing Nico from his clutches. The other boy lifted his head and gave Percy a tiny smile. "Sure" was his reply.

_Friday. Friday will definitely be good._

"So it's set?" Percy said.

"I…I said 'sure' didn't I?" Nico answered. He bowed his head. "Shit," he said, as he turned red like a tomato.

Percy grinned. _How could anyone think that face is annoying?_ he thought. He remembered Bianca complaining a while ago about Nico's tendency to blush, and he couldn't disagree any more with her sentiments. They were _absurd_, in a manner of speaking.

"Where's you mom, Perce?" Nico asked. "And Paul?"

"I don't know," Percy said, in all honesty. "I seriously don't." Percy smiled suggestively. Nico scowled at him, though his skin was still rosy.

In retrospect, it was pretty obvious what they were about to do.

* * *

><p>"<em>I don't care if Monday's blue. Tuesday's gray and Wednesday too. Thursday I don't care about you. It's Friday, I'm in love"<em>

The Cure was Percy's favorite band of the week, especially because of a specific song that catered to his current feelings.

Excitement filled Percy's bones, which, from other people's point-of-view, was incredibly normal. Enthusiastic and good-humored Percy was normal Percy. However, the type of happiness he felt, as evening approached was very different from normal.

_ "I don't care if Mondays black. Tuesday, Wednesday - heart attack. Thursday, never looking back. It's Friday, I'm in love"_

Percy kept singing the song while he got ready for his _not a date_ with Nico. He didn't remember much of what happened the past week. Did he go to school? Did he do any homework? Did he even eat? Who did he even eat with? It was all a blur. He didn't even remember much of his time with Nico. He figured he had swallowed some kind of memory-erasing, happiness-intensifying pill. Nico probably slipped it in during one of their lip locking sessions.

Percy and Nico decided that their first destination for the night would be the diner near their school. That seemed like a good place to go for _not a date_. They decided they'd go there separately. Nico thought Percy picking him up would be too _date-ish_. Going together from Percy's place would be too_ date-ish_ as well. Going there separately seemed _safe_, in Nico's opinion. Therefore, it was the best choice. Percy couldn't care less how they got there.

"_Always take a big bite. It's such a gorgeous sight. To see you eat in the middle of the night. You can never get enough. Enough of this stuff. It's Friday, I'm in love_."

Percy slipped on something that Nico would consider as safe, non-_date-ish_ clothing. A navy blue shirt, a pair of jeans and his white Converse shoes topped off with a black Abercrombie jacket. Well, he wanted to wear something a_ little _date-worthy. He imagined what Nico would wear. He'd probably just slip a regular t-shirt on with an ill-fitting jacket. Maybe he'd even wear something gothic and gloomy, to make it seem even less like a date. _Yeah,_ Percy thought. _He'd _probably _do that._

The enthusiastic brunet headed out of his room. "Mom!" he yelled. "I'm going." His mom bid him farewell as he walked out of the apartment. "Have fun on your date," she said. Percy laughed and said, "Not a date, mom." However, deep inside, Percy knew he and Nico were just kidding themselves. This _was _a date. Though, if Nico wanted to say it wasn't a date, Percy wasn't in the position to disagree.

"_Monday you can fall apart. Tuesday, Wednesday break my heart. Thursday doesn't even start. It's Friday I'm in love._"

* * *

><p>Percy took a cab to the diner. It was a really long ten-minute ride. It was still seven. Percy just wanted to get there already, even though their official meeting time was <em>half past<em> seven. Nico would probably make himself fashionably late, Percy assumed.

"Right there," Percy told the cab driver, pointing to the diner, which was already in sight. "Stop there."

The Moondance Diner was a tacky little place. The waiters and waitresses were made to dance from time to time to songs from the 50s and 60s – mostly by either Donna Summer or Elvis. They looked unhappy and unwilling. The waitresses wore these white dresses with large red polka dots. The waiters were in sailor outfits, for some odd reason. The people who ate there were usually people who just didn't have anywhere better to eat. It was _perfect _for _not a date_. Tasteful food? None. Amiable staff? Zilch. Romantic atmosphere? You can cross _that_ out.

Walking inside, Percy was _not _greeted by any waiter or waitress. Most of them were busy with their sad routine of "Suspicious Minds." What _did_ greet him was the sight of someone who he initially thought would make himself _fashionably late._

The boy was sitting by a table in the rightmost corner of the diner. He was looking around as if he was afraid something or someone was going to ambush him any minute. There was a can of Coke Zero on the table. He took a sip from it and then immediately went back to looking around. He was, contrary to expectation, wearing a bright yellow t-shirt underneath a brown bomber jacket.

_I love this guy._

Nico finally saw Percy after all his looking around. He blushed in an instant. Percy giggled as he approached the table.

"Hey," Percy said, sitting across from Nico. "You look nice."

"I… No I don't. This…this is nothing." Nico was being too modest.

"You look sexy," Percy said, grinning moronically. His lively sea green eyes looked straight into Nico's hazelnut irises.

Nico bowed his head. He opened his mouth, but failed to say anything. He didn't tell Percy to "shut up" like he usually would. He looked very, _very_ flustered.

"Let's just order," Percy said, amused by Nico's discomfort.

Percy called for a waitress. One arrived about ten minutes after Percy asked. She handed them a menu.

"What'll it be?" she said, blandly.

"We'll have four pieces of chicken and…a plate of fries," Percy said.

"And one cheeseburger," Nico added, talking rapidly.

"Drinks?" the waitress said.

"Just water for me," Percy said. He turned to Nico. "What about you?" he asked.

"I…I'll have another Coke Zero, p-please."

After noting everything they ordered, the waitress left the two to wait for their meal. Percy stared a Nico for minute. Nico avoided Percy's eyes. He was sweating.

"You're heating up, Nico," Percy said. Nico nodded stiffly. He took off his jacket and wiped his sweat with a handkerchief.

"Hey," Percy continued. "Why are you acting so nervous all of a sudden? This isn't a date, remember?"

"Yeah. I know that. Of course," Nico said. "Totally."

"So," Percy said. "Let's talk. Like normal people."

"About?"

"Well," Percy said. "We could finally clear up some things. You know, things we never get the chance to talk about when we're _alone_."

Nico gave Percy a quizzical look. "Like?" he asked.

Percy smiled. He had a multitude of things to tell – and ask – Nico. Some were a little touchy, per se. Then there were topics that were a little more on the funny side.

"You wanna know something funny?" Percy asked.

"Umm… Sure?" Nico said, apprehensively.

"Well, you know how you acted all…pissed off and tense around me before?"

"St-still do," Nico said, sneering.

"You know what I thought the reason for that was?"

Bemusement registered on Nico's pale, Italian features. His left eyebrow was arched. His mouth was half-open. Percy grinned.

"I thought you liked Annabeth."

Nico's eyes widened. The edges of his mouth started to curve up, forming a smile. He bit his lip.

"Hysterical, right?"

Nico laughed – _hard_. This was the first time Percy ever saw this happen. Percy grinned, showing his delight. He loved it whenever he saw a different side to Nico. The laughing boy held his stomach. "_Oh my God_," he managed to say as he guffawed mercilessly. "That _is _funny." The cackling didn't stop.

Nico bit his lip in an attempt to stop laughing. "You're so stupid, Perce," he said.

Percy laughed this off. Their food arrived while Nico was still in a state of euphoria. Percy continued sharing a few stories while they ate – a few _embarrassing_ stories, to be exact. He told Nico the real reason he was at the mall when the two of them ran into each other. He then told him about Annabeth finding out, and Rachel finding out. He also narrated how the first time he went to Nico's apartment wasn't when he met Nico's parents. Nico would've usually been embarrassed to hear all this, but Percy's first story made him able to laugh it all off.

"I…I guess I should tell you some of my strories," Nico said, as he put two pieces of fries in his mouth. Percy smiled.

"Let's save it for another day," Percy said.

Nico nodded. "Y-yeah," he said. "Okay. Definitely."

Before they realized it, all their food had been finished. Percy and Nico split the bill. They decided not to have desert and just go ahead and do something else.

"W-where to?" Nico asked.

"There's a small movie theatre nearby. They show a lot of 90s and 80s movies there. Wanna watch something?" Percy suggested.

Nico looked hesitant. "I… Are you sure? Won't that be too much like…like date?"

Percy chuckled. "No it won't," he said. "We'll watch something non-romantic. Like… I think they're showing Godzilla there today." Percy grabbed Nico's hand, which was previously circled around his soft drink can. "C'mon," Percy said, smiling. He slowly caressed the back of the hand with his fingers. Percy could feel the Nico's anxiety just from the feel of his pale hand. It was cold. Percy tried calming him down through his smooth caress. "It'll be fun," he continued.

"Fine," Nico said. He then abruptly slipped his hand away from Percy.

As soon as Nico gave his reply, Percy stood up and held a hand out for Nico. "No hand holding," was Nico's response to this. Percy pulled a face. Nico rolled his eyes.

They walked side by side to the movie theatre Percy talked about. The walk was silent, mostly. Nico put his hands in his jacket pockets. Percy let his hands sway on his sides. Percy asked a few questions about school, which Nico responded in a very normal, non-flustered manner. Percy was smiling the whole time. An overwhelming amount of happiness soared through him. The night was going great, he thought.

"Here it is," Percy said, as they stood in front of the movie theatre. It was a small place with a ticket booth in front and a bright yellow sign overhead that had the word "Cinemas" on it. There were only a few people lined up for tickets. Apparently though, Godzilla _wasn't_ showing tonight. They were showing ET and Green Mile. _Weird combination, _Percy thought. He asked Nico which of the two he wanted to watch. Nico said Green Mile.

"Really?" Percy said. He thought Nico would prefer ET.

"Yeah. I like ET too much," Nico said. "So…no. I don't wanna watch that on our _not a date_."

Percy smiled. He circled his arms around Nico's body. They were in the middle of the line for the tickets, but Percy didn't care. "I love you, you know," he said.

Nico started heating up. "C'mon, Percy._ Not here_. Please?" Percy laughed and let go of him. "You're a shy little thing, aren't 'ya?" Percy said, playfully. Nico glared and punched Percy's chest.

After they bought tickets, they went straight into the theatre. There was nothing unusual about the theatre. The seats were red. There was a bit of litter on the floor. Most of the people taking their seats looked like they were around Percy and Nico's age. They were already flashing a few trailers – though the trailers were all of 90s movies, since the specific theatre they were in showed 90s movies exclusively. The Clueless trailer showed and Alicia Silverstone's voice was heard _loud and clear_.

There was a man going around selling popcorn and soda. Percy bought a big bag of popcorn, which he would share with Nico. The other boy didn't protest, surprisingly. They both bought their own orange soda to go with their popcorn.

They sat somewhere in the middle. The seats felt comfortable enough. The chairs' handlebars could be lifted, so Percy had them pulled up so they could easily share their popcorn (and so he could easily _accidentally grab Nico's hand_).

The Green Mile was a very gripping movie. Percy could've sworn Nico cried in a few scenes. Nico refused to admit it, though. In some of the dramatic scenes, Nico couldn't help but grab on to Percy's arm. John Coffey's electric chair scene even made Nico yell out: "No! Why! Don't go!" Percy found himself being more gripped by Nico than by the movie. It was a three-hour film, so they were only finished with it at around 11:30. Percy didn't know it'd be that long.

"That was…that was _amazing_," Nico said, as the credits rolled. They stood up and headed for the exit. Nico grabbed on to Percy's hand. "Didn't you think it was amazing, Perce? Didn't you? I mean… _Tom Hanks. Michael Clarke Duncan._ They were amazing, right? Right? God, I'm so glad we saw this. Aren't _you_ glad Percy?"

Percy laughed. "Yeah," he said. "It was great."

"I can't even… I have to… I really have to buy a copy of that." Nico squeezed Percy's hand. His eyes were full of life. He was like a kid who just got out of a Spiderman screening. Percy was, consequently, the attentive parent who cleaned the bits of popcorn stuck on the little boy's shirt.

They managed to get back out to the sidewalk. Nico still blabbed about the scenes he thought were the _best_ – or in his words: _amazingness defined_. They stood a few feet away from the theatre just talking. Percy wanted to wait until Nico calmed down before they headed somewhere else. He also didn't want Nico to realize that their hands were tangled together.

Nico just talked on and on and on. Percy seldom saw Nico talk this much.

Percy had the sudden urge to kiss the yammering lad – so he did. Percy put his other hand under Nico's chin and lifted his head up. As Percy leaned in to provide Nico's lips with a deep smooch, Nico's hands fell, as if he was going limp. Percy then put both his hands on Nico's cheeks.

Kissing Nico by surprise was definitely at the top of Percy's favorite activities list. The fact that Nico kissed back every single time just made it even better. Percy was all about cliché romance. He believed that every kiss he shared with Nico had to be special – especially if it was done out in the open. It didn't have to be done in a special _moment_, but it had to be done in a special _way_. He wanted to take Nico's breath away. Nico always managed to do that to Percy, and Percy wanted Nico to feel just as breathless. Truly, if this were some romantic comedy, it would be raining right now.

When Percy stopped, Nico let out a huge sigh. He settled his forehead on Percy's shoulder. "Can you remind me what the movie was about again?" Nico said. "I think I forgot." Percy grinned. "I honestly don't remember myself," he said.

The two boys laughed their hearts out. This was, decidedly, the best _not a date_ Percy has ever had. He learned so much about Nico in a few hours time. It was uncanny. Percy never wanted it to end. _Never_.

"P-Percy…" Nico began, as he lifted his head from Percy's shoulder. "I… I know I haven't said this since…since the night we got together… so… yeah… I just want you to know that I… I really do l–"

People they knew really had the worst timing. Everyone just appeared all of a sudden when Percy and Nico were in the middle of something _good_.

"Well, well, well," someone said. They were walking towards Percy and Nico's direction. Percy smelled a cigarette being lit. He also heard tiny, girlish laughs. Percy did a double take before actually realizing who it actually was.

"Th-Th-Thalia. H-_hey_." Percy gulped.

Nico stared at her with wide eyes. Well, it wasn't just her, actually. She had her three friends behind her: Silena, Zoe and Juniper.

"How long has it been?" she said. She stood right in front of the flustered couple, taking a whiff of her Marlbaro lights. "Almost a month right?" She was wearing a black cocktail dress. The other three were _also_ wearing cocktail dresses.

"Y-yeah," Percy replied.

Thalia smirked. "Now," she said. "Is this what I think it is?" Silena and Juniper giggled. Zoe rolled her eyes.

"It's _not_ a date. No. It isn't. It's not. R-really," Nico stammered.

Thalia chuckled. "Then what's with the kissing?" Nico flushed.

"We're sorta together now, Thalia," Percy said.

"Awesome," she said. She eyed them suggestively. "And _cute_." Silena and Juniper's giggling didn't stop.

"Are we really just gonna stand there and talk to these idiots or are we going to watch a movie?" Zoe complained. "I didn't leave the event to do _this_." She had her arms crossed. Her expression was that of irritation.

"I'm sorry if this is way more interesting than a movie, Zoe," Thalia said. "But I guess I won't be disturbing you boys any further."

"Awww," Silena whined. "But I wanted to know how they got together."

"I think they want to keep that to themselves, Silena," Thalia said, thankfully.

"Yeah," Juniper agreed. "Let's leave them alone. They clearly want some alone time."

"Bye then," Thalia said, giving them a wink and casually walking past them.

"Say hi to Grover for me," Juniper added.

The four girls walked to the ticket booth together. Percy and Nico were left to recuperate from their surprise encounter.

"_Whew_," Percy blurted. "That was…interesting." He started laughing.

"Yeah. Right. _Interesting_," Nico said. He started laughing as well.

"So," Percy continued. "What were you saying again?" He beamed. He knew _exactly_ what Nico was about to say.

"Nothing," Nico said, unconvincingly.

Percy arched his eyebrow. "You were saying that you _really do…_?"

"I really do want to go home now."

_Hilarious,_ Percy thought, as more laughter burst out from him.

"So…you wanna go home _now_? To _your_ house? To sleep on _your_ bed? _Alone_?" Percy was suggesting something, obviously.

Nico bit his lip. "No," he said. "To your house. I wanna go home with _you_."

Direct and honest Nico made Percy extremely jovial. He wanted to do a victory dance. He also had a great desire to ravage Nico in the most inappropriate way possible. "Friday I'm In Love" rang in his ear once again. He sang in his head: _Monday, you can hold your head. Tuesday, Wednesday stay in bed. Or Thursday - watch the walls instead. It's Friday, I'm in love._

"Another sleepover?" he said, after his little moment with his thoughts.

"Yes," Nico replied.

"You'll wear my clothes again?"

"Duh."

"You had fun on our date?"

"W-what?"

Percy gave Nico an annoyed look. "Let's not kid ourselves, Nico. This was _a date_. We went on our _first date_. And it was _awesome_."

"I… I dunno… I still don't like the idea…"

"Nico. If you don't admit this was a date, I swear, when we get home, I'll do things to you that will make you regret ever being born." He made it a point to make his eyes look like a maniac's.

"What…what makes you so sure you'll be able to do that?" Nico said, blushing.

Percy looked at Nico disbelievingly. "Are you challenging me or something?"

"N-n-no. Fine. It was a date. A great date. An awesome date. And…"

"And…?"

"And please don't hurt me." Nico shut his eyes.

"I was just kidding, Nico. _God_, you're way too easy to trick." Percy paused and took a deep breath. He smiled and glanced at his surroundings. They were in front of a thrift store that was closed for the night. There was a magazine stand a few feet away. He then took a look at Nico and observed that he was looking around as well. It wasn't awkward, though. It was _different_.

Their energy gradually subsided. Percy took Nico's hand and asked him if he wanted to go for a walk before they went apartment-bound. Nico nodded. It seemed like a good way to end their day – just the two of them, walking, saying nothing, doing nothing.

Nico's right hand was inside his brown bomber jacket while the other the other gripped tightly to Percy. Percy looked up and caught sight of the many lights that shone through the many offices and residential buildings in the avenue. There was a disarray of sounds coming from all the structures. It was a messy and disorienting scene, but that was exactly the type of beauty that encapsulated the city. Truth be told, it really suited the cluttered emotions that Percy felt when he thought, when he was around, and when he touched Nico di Angelo.

Indeed, both of them went mute. Percy didn't even attempt to kiss Nico. They just walked, feeling a great amount comfort in each other's company. Nico looked peaceful. Percy looked happy. They didn't need share gazes to know exactly how the other felt. Everyone around them was invisible. It was just Percy and Nico under the dark New York sky.

* * *

><p><strong>THANKS FOR READING! Hope you liked this. As you may have noticed, I didn't give a name to Nico's dad. I thought it'd be a little too awkward if both Percy and Nico's dads were named after gods.<strong>

**Next chapter will be posted…in a week? Or a little more than that? I'll just try to update as soon as possible.**

**Reviews are much appreciated. =)**

**~ LC.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Heyya readers! Chapter 9 – the fourth-to-the-last chapter (according to my outline). **

**This was pretty hard to write, in all honesty (except the last part, _that_ was easy). I hope you all enjoy it. =D**

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><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairing: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO)

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a little OOC. Sorry for random grammatical errors that are sure to appear!

* * *

><p><strong>Skinny Love<strong>

**Chapter 9**

"I need you Nico."

Percy's hot breath flowed through Nico's ear. He had the pale boy pinned down half-naked on the bed. He nipped Nico's neck, making the flustered boy moan in elation. Percy ran a hand from Nico's abdomen all the way up to his chest. He felt Nico's deep breathing as he did so. His lips pressed against the other boy's swollen mouth, obstructing another whimper from exiting it.

Percy was fully clothed but the heat that filled his body was more than evident. His tongue lashed through the opening of Nico's lips. The Italian boy's hands shook a great amount as they gripped tightly to the sheets. Percy was _really _making a mess out of the boy.

A hand started to go down to Nico's pants. Slowly but surely, Percy unbuttoned it and pushed the zipper down until Nico's underwear was uncovered. He halted his feverous seize on Nico's lips and stared down at Nico's groin.

Percy sat up and lifted his shirt over his head. The way Nico looked at him as he did so was typified by a great sense of yearning and libido. Percy licked his lips and leaned back down once more. Time seemed to slow down. His eyes were closed. Their foreheads touched. Percy opened his mouth to plant another passionate kiss on the boy's succulent lips. However, the slow mo button on their lives seemed to have been pressed. Percy's mouth opened bit-by-bit, minute-by-minute. It was so close yet so far from going against Nico's lips. Percy's head started to go fuzzy. His cognition started to blur.

He blacked out.

_Ring, ring, ring_.

His alarm clock chimed.

Percy woke up with a start. _Damn,_ he thought. _Just when it was getting good_. His right hand fumbled around his bedside table as he tried to find his alarm clock. When he finally silenced it, he let out a loud groan. "Shit," he said. _Nico, you son of a bitch._

Percy had to get ready for school. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. It was a freezing cold January day, and Nico hadn't been to his house for _days_. Why? Well, he was _busy_ with something.

Christmas and New Year's had gone by with a snap of a finger. All Percy and Nico did during winter break was lounge around Percy's apartment. They went on a few dates (yes, Nico was already comfortable calling it that), but for the most part, they just slept in and made out. They were in their own little version of heaven during the whole vacation. It was sad when they had to go back to school and start studying for midterms week. It was even sadder that after midterms week, Nico decided that he wanted to help his dad do some forensics research for the university. _That_ was why he's been failing to spend time with Percy for the past few days.

Percy, though he didn't want to admit it, felt like Nico was getting a little distant from him the past two weeks. It was partly because they haven't even _kissed _in five days. It was also partly because Nico wouldn't even eat with him at school because Nico thinks it's too awkward if they eat with Annabeth. Both Percy and Annabeth thought the notion was absurd, but Nico just wouldn't budge. Having said this, the only real time Percy got to talk to Nico during school hours was in between classes.

Percy finished taking a shower. He changed into an olive green t-shirt and blue jeans. He grabbed a black jacket and a navy blue scarf from his coat rack.

"Percy!" his mom called as Percy picked up his backpack and slung it on his shoulders. "Someone's here to pick you up." Percy wrinkled his eyebrows. He wore a bemused expression as he opened his door.

"Who is it mom?" he said, walking toward the doorway. He had his head down so he could fix the slight wrinkles on his clothing.

"H-hey," he heard.

Percy lifted his head. A grin immediately appeared on his face.

"_Hey_," he said. His enamored state was very apparent in his tone.

"I…I thought I'd make up for…for not being around lately." Nico di _fucking _Angelo bit his lip. His face turned red and his hands burrowed further into the pockets of his dark brown jacket.

The door was wide open. Percy tackle-hugged the other boy, making them stumble out into the hallway. He buried his nostrils into Nico's hair, smelling the sweet scent of the boy's shampoo. Even though he always sees Nico when they're _in_ school, there was a different sensation that swamped Percy when he saw Nico in places outside their school's vicinities.

"I don't want to go to school anymore," Percy said, tightening his grasp on the Italian boy.

"What's with the ruckus?" It was newly awoken Paul. Upon seeing what Percy was doing, Paul smirked and said, "Oh. I see."

"P-Percy," Nico said, weakly. "We…we need…we need to go." Despite the statement, Nico's fingers were tightly holding on to Percy jacket. Sally looked at them fondly. She mouthed, "Just let him be" to Nico. The boy smiled.

Nico rested his head on Percy's shoulder, fully submitting to Percy's grasp. Not caring that his parents were right there, Percy took the nestled head in his hands, stared into Nico's eyes and leaned in for one giant kiss. By apparent instinct, Nico circled his arms around Percy's neck and returned the sentiment.

They were going to be late for school, doubtless. However, if missing a few minutes of their history lesson meant that Percy could spend a length of time being intimate with Nico, Percy would be all for it.

"I missed you," Percy whispered as he pulled away from their lip lock.

"We saw each other at school yesterday," Nico responded, bowing his head while his hands took hold of Percy's jacket.

"You know what I mean, Nico," Percy retorted, girding his arms around Nico's waist. "I can't believe I haven't kissed you in _five days_. Do you know how sucky that is?"

"I'm…I'm sorry," Nico said. He returned Percy's gaze. He pulled himself up, startling Percy a bit. The next thing he knew, Nico had smacked his lips on his cheek. "Does _that_ make up for it?" Nico said.

Percy's eyes were wide and agape. "Don't look at me like that," Nico complained. Percy shook his head, still in disbelief. "I…I can't…I can't believe you just…you just did that." Nico glared.

"Well," Nico assented. "I just…I knew it'd make you happier."

_I feel so loved_.

"Boys," Sally interjected. "As much as this is such a sweet 'reunion,' I hope you realize that you're about to be late for school."

"Don't worry," Paul said, from behind Sally. "I'll give them a ride."

Percy turned to his parents. "Thanks Paul," he said. Paul, who already had the keys in his hands, gave him a thumbs-up and a "no problem." He walked out of the apartment and headed towards the elevator. Percy turned back to Nico and smiled. He held out a hand, which Nico gently grabbed.

"You just made my day Nico, my love," Percy said, before following Paul.

"The…the day's barely started Percy, _sweetheart_," Nico said, sarcastically.

Percy shrugged. "Well _I _say nothing can ruin it."

Nico sighed. "We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" Percy pulled a face. Nico scowled. "Let's not waste any more time, Perce. C'mon." Nico jerked Percy's arm.

"Sure, sure," Percy said. Usually, it was Nico that had to be pulled when they were going somewhere, but this time, Percy was the one to be tugged along. However, instead of telling Nico that his heave wasn't needed, Percy let Nico pull him. Percy enjoyed it very, _very_ much.

* * *

><p>Percy and Nico, as mentioned, normally didn't eat lunch together. Lunch periods were characterized by desperate glances directed at Nico via Percy. Grover, Travis and Connor found it annoying, but there was nothing they could do about it. Percy was just one lovesick puppy.<p>

Today was a little different, though. At present, there was a plate of uneaten mac and cheese on Percy's table. He played with the food using his fork as he stared at the cafeteria doors. Grover, Travis and Connor were laughing about something. Annabeth and Nico were nowhere to be found. Percy wondered why they were taking so long. It was twenty minutes past the start of the lunch hour yet they still weren't seated anywhere.

"Percy," a voice called. "Hello? Percy?" Percy didn't respond. His gaze never left the door. He sensed someone sitting to his right, but he didn't care to look over – until of course, he was hit in the head.

"_Ouch_," he exclaimed. He turned to see Rachel Elizabeth Dare giving him an exasperated look.

"Did you hear what I just said?"

Percy rubbed his head "That hurt a lot, Rachel," he said.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "God, Percy. Stop being a baby," she said. "Nico should jut break up with you and find out who that secret admirer is."

"W-what did you just say?" Intense puzzlement registered on Percy's face. His brows were wrinkled and his eyes went wide.

"Nico and Annabeth are out there in the hall with a bunch of people. Someone left a big-ass letter in Nico's locker. A secret admirer, obviously."

Percy couldn't believe what he was hearing. Who in the world would do that?

Percy, by force of instinct, got on his feet and started to make his way to the hallway. No one followed him, however.

The moment he stepped out, he caught sight of Nico and Annabeth surrounded by a group of twinkling females talking very loudly. Percy moved towards them with speed and with urgency.

"What's going on here?" he said, with his hands on his hips and an angry expression on his face. He was being one hell of a possessive boyfriend.

Nico and the hoard of girls looked surprised to see him. Annabeth, on the other hand, looked delighted.

"P-Percy," Nico stammered, turning bright red. Percy noticed he was holding a big red heart-shaped card.

"What's that?" Percy asked, pointing to the letter. No words came out of Nico's open mouth. His lips were frozen.

Annabeth, being the savior that she is, grabbed both Percy and Nico by the arm and said, "Will you excuse us for a second girls?" With that, she pulled the couple away from the compromising scene.

She stopped walking upon settling on a more secluded part of the hallway. "So I guess Rachel must've relayed the news?" she said.

"Yes," Percy said, dryly. "And I wanna know all the details." He turned to Nico, who looked scared and helpless.

"This…this is nothing," he said. "Just some silly letter."

"From a secret admirer," Annabeth added. Nico tilted his head downwards. Annabeth grabbed the letter from his hands, and held it out for Percy.

"Here," she said. "Read it."

Percy took the card and examined its features. It was, as previously observed, a red heart-shaped card. The words were written cursively, with the use of black ink. It was pretty. The author even drew a tiny Nico in the corner. It was really cute, just as Percy feared.

Percy started reading aloud. "Dear Nico," he began. "I'm sorry if this is weird, but I think this is the best way to tell you how I feel. I know you're birthday's coming up and…" Percy paused.

"Y-your birthday's coming up?" he asked, meeting Nico's gaze. Nico nodded, confirming what had been said. "I…I didn't know that," Percy added.

"Just keep reading," Annabeth said.

Percy obeyed. "And I just felt that I needed to give you this letter before that day comes." Percy moved on to the next paragraph. "Nico di Angelo, I'd just like you to know that you are the most gorgeous man I have ever seen in my life. You haunt me every single day. Looking at you makes me weak in the knees. I admire you so much. You are beyond smart and very nice." Percy cringed. "I really hope that someday I can tell you who I am because my heart aches knowing that you may not even know I exist. Love…"

"Your secret admirer." Percy glanced at Annabeth as soon as she said that. He wasn't angry. He was more _confused_. He knew it was a little immature to be worried over this, but the fact that the secret admirer seemed _serious as shit_ unsettled his brain.

"Y-you shouldn't worry about th-this Percy," Nico said. "I…I don't plan on…on…finding out who this is. I don't even care." Percy pursed his lips. He wanted to be reassured by Nico's declaration, but he just _wasn't_.

"Yeah, Perce. I mean, we don't even know if this…this person's serious," Annabeth said.

"It looks serious to me," Percy said, without much thought.

"C'mon, Seaweed Brain. You seriously don't believe Nico could make anyone 'weak in the knees' do you?"

Percy gave Annabeth a cross look. Nico flushed. Annabeth, upon realizing the mistake in her words, said: "Oh… Right. _You_."

"P-Percy. Even…even if this _is_ serious… I would… I would never even _think_ of returning her feelings," Nico said, trying to restore Percy's confidence.

"Or _his _feelings," Annabeth added.

"You believe me Percy, don't you?" Nico continued.

Several scenarios entered Percy's brain. One was of the secret admirer revealing himself or herself and Nico being all smitten with him or her. Another was of Nico finally finding the latent admirer after a lot of desperate searching, and him having a big romantic moment with the person. The last scenario was of Nico rejecting the secret admirer, but then, after some serious pining, discovers that he was developing feelings for the person. This was indeed the pitfall to Percy's humility.

Percy mustered up a smile. _Don't over think things Percy,_ he thought to himself. _Nico loves he. He does._

"I _love_ you, Percy."

Percy's mouth froze open. He bobbed his head up and down several times. "Y-yeah. I love you too Nico."

_Shit. Why did I even worry about this?_

Percy embraced Nico. "I'm sorry I was too fussy," he said. "I'm…I'm sorry."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Woah there, boys. I'm still here," she said. "And drama much? It was just stupid letter, Percy. It was nothing."

"Y-yeah," Percy said. "Yeah. It was nothing."

"I'm hungry," Nico announced.

Percy let him go. "Oh," he said. "Then let's get something to eat."

With that, Percy, Nico and Annabeth headed for the cafeteria. Nico was apparently able to lift Percy's spirits with just a few words. It really _was_ just one stupid letter. It was something that _may_ or may not even occur again. Plus, why did Percy even need to worry? Well, he had his reasons: paranoia, low self-esteem, and a tendency to fuck things up. By no stretch of the imagination, however, does he plan to fuck up whatever he had with his Nico. _That_ was definitely non-negotiable.

* * *

><p>Percy got home that day feeling satisfied. He even forgot why he was so upset about the secret admirer situation. Nico didn't go back home with him again because of the work he had to do with his dad. Percy settled for conversing with his mom for the evening. In the middle of that conversation, though, Percy realized something.<p>

"Oh shoot, mom," he said. "I forgot to ask Nico when his birthday is."

Sally gave Percy a questioning look. "Where…where did _that_ come from, Percy?"

"His…his birthday's coming up, but I forgot to ask him _when_ exactly." Worry was apparent in Percy's facial expression.

"You can always call him…or ask Annabeth – maybe _she _knows."

"Rachel. I'll ask Rachel," Percy said, standing up from the dining table to get his phone in his room.

"O…okay?" Sally managed.

Percy called Rachel. He did this as he thought about how bad a boyfriend he was turning out to be today. First, there was the over-possessiveness on the secret admirer situation. Then, there was _this_ – not knowing when the hell his _beloved_ Nico's birthday was. He failed to fulfill one basic responsibility of a boyfriend. He couldn't blame anyone but himself.

"Hello, Rachel?" he said, when she finally picked up.

"What is it, Mr. Niceboy?" she said.

"When's Nico's birthday?" he asked, being as straight to the point as possible.

"You don't know? Pfft. Some boyfriend you turned out to be," she said, to Percy's displeasure.

"You think I don't know that, Rachel?" he said. "Just tell me when it is, please?"

Rachel was bound to be rolling her eyes right now. Percy hoped it would be followed by the expected 'alright, I'll tell you.'

"Alright, I'll tell you." _Jackpot_. "It's January 28 – a Saturday. And in _nine_ days, mind you."

"He's turning…18?"

"17. _God_, you don't even know how old he is? What have you been doing with Nico all this time that this wouldn't come up even _once_?"

"We've been…" Percy gulped. He didn't want to tell Rachel what he and Nico did most of the time. It would be _embarrassing_, per se. Instead, he voiced out a suggestion: "I wanna throw him a party."

"A party? Do you even _know_ Nico? He hates parties," Rachel argued. "The last party he attended was…well – _remember_?"

"He'll…he'll like it if I throw it," Percy said.

"What makes you so sure about that?" she questioned.

"Because…because it'll be _different_. No…no crappy party stuff. Just a few friends. Maybe I can even get his family to help. I really wanna do this, Rachel. It's the least I can do." Percy was dead serious. He wanted Nico's birthday to be special. He wanted it to be _spectacular_ – in Nico's standards, at least.

He heard Rachel sigh. "Fine," she said. "And I'll help you. I know you'll need all the help you can get."

Percy smiled. "Thanks, Rach."

"Rach… I don't like that. Don't call me that," she said.

Percy laughed. "Okay, okay," he said. "So…I'll just…plan something out?"

"No. You just get us a venue. Preferably Nico's house, maybe. Oh, and the cake. The cake's yours. _I'll _do the rest." Percy wanted to protest, but then she said: "It's the _least_ I can do for my favorite couple."

Percy blushed. _Aw, shucks_. "Thanks, Rachel," he said. "I…I really appreciate it. It really means a lot."

"I know," she said. "Now, I need to go, Perce. There's this thing we call 'homework,' remember? So, _bye_." Rachel hung up. Percy snapped his phone shut. He took a deep breath.

_Tired_.

Percy lay down on his bed. He had a bunch of undone homework on his study table, which he had to accomplish tonight. If Nico were there, he'd be helping Percy with all his homework, so they could go do more fun stuff without worrying about grades plummeting.

_God,_ Percy thought. _I miss him_.

* * *

><p>Bringing with him his intense enthusiasm and drive, Percy went gift shopping that weekend. He went alone. Rachel wanted to come along, but Percy insisted that he go by himself. Beforehand, he asked Bianca if there were any Mythomagic figurines Nico hadn't bought yet, and he found out he was missing the Prometheus and Epimetheus statuettes. It was funny actually, because he was in a very Prometheus type of mood – planning things ahead and all – but he'd skip the eternal damnation for royally fucking up part. In relation to planning ahead, Percy had decided to buy the figurines in a comic book store that <em>wasn't<em> where Thalia, the mysterious witch, spent her Saturdays in.

Percy also managed to get Bianca to reserve their apartment for Nico's party – or _birthday lunch_, as Rachel coined it since she sensed that Nico wouldn't want to participate in any _parties_ for himself. They were going to do it on the birth date itself and they were going to do it by _surprise_. Nico was going to be made to pick up a painting on that day – creating an adequate diversion for him. Apparently, Nico never made a fuss about his birthday, so receiving a chore on that day would be completely normal.

During the five days prior to the celebration, things were relatively normal. The only thing that made things peculiar was that Nico ate lunch with Percy _twice_. Nico told Percy about a new friend he made who was from NYU. He was apparently having a lot of fun with the research, which he was still busy with – so no after school alone time took place. Percy, instead of growing accustomed to it, grew to resent it more and more. He asked Nico several times if he could skip it, but Nico always answered with an annoyed "no." He even told Nico that he was getting a little paranoid that they may get distant. Nico just reassured him that they wouldn't.

However, on the majority of days Percy and Nico didn't eat lunch together, Nico hardly even acknowledged Percy's existence. There were a few smiles and a rare amount of waves, but generally, they didn't even talk much. No talk about his upcoming birthday was even initiated, strangely. It was incredibly disheartening, but Percy was convinced that things would go back to the way it was when Nico's over and done with his work.

On a side note, though, the secret admirer situation had blown over. No new letters came. No gifts arrived. It was very weird. Percy just hoped it would stay that way.

Meanwhile, Rachel Elizabeth Dare was in constant contact with Percy the entire week. She made sure Percy talked Bianca for the venue. She made sure that only a few people were invited and that Percy didn't invite any unwanted visitors. She also kept Percy updated with the arrangements for food and music. A few people from the Culinary Club, whom Rachel was apparently close with, would provide food. On the other hand, Travis and Connor, who were "more than game" with the idea, would be providing the music.

One of the most important aspects of a birthday – the cake – was going to be made by this tiny bakery called Buttercup. Percy had it personalized just for Nico. It was going to be a big chocolate cake with intensely creamy frosting. "Happy Birthday Nico" would be written using black cream. Percy also had this mini figurine of Death – with the hood and the scythe and all. Nico would _love _it. At least, Percy assumed he would.

He would just have find out for himself, though. In a few minutes time, Nico was expected to enter the apartment, and everyone was expected to surprise him with the well-planned _birthday lunch_.

Percy's breaths were heavy and anxious.

His dark blue flannel shirt was disheveled and his black pants felt too tight. "Oh god, oh god, oh god," he said, to Rachel Elizabeth Dare's annoyance.

"Perce. Nico will _love_ this. Trust me. Can this place look _any_ more dry and upsetting? No balloons, no party décor. The music's, like, from the 50s. The presents are wrapped in gray…except…except _yours_, turd. "

Percy looked around. Rachel gave a very accurate description of the surroundings – very, _very_ accurate. She only invited Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Travis, Connor, a few kids from the Culinary Club and a few of her art club friends. Percy didn't understand why the art club kids had to be there, though. Nico's family wanted to stay away from the festivities, so they left once Rachel – the first one to come – had arrived.

"Just take a deep breath, Percy," Annabeth said. She was also a little annoyed by Percy's bothered disposition. She _knew_ Nico very well and she declared many times already that Nico would appreciate this _birthday lunch _very much.

Percy checked his watch. "He's a minute late, Annabeth," Percy said, finding out the time. "_A minute late_."

Annabeth sighed. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"A minute late is nothing to be worried about," the redhead remarked.

"Yeah. He may even be on his way up already," Annabeth added.

They all stood a few feet from Nico's doorway. Percy, Annabeth and Rachel were at the center while the others were spread out until the living room.

"Percy!" Grover called. He was stationed nearest to the door whose knob started to turn.

"_Dad_." Nico's voice resonated through the apartment. He sounded like he was laughing. "Ran into Luke on the way home."

_Luke? Who's…who's Luke?_

The door opened. Nico's laughs were mixed with another's – a guy's, to be precise. There was a tall blonde boy who had an arm slung on Nico's shoulders. Nico's head was turned to him. He was red with laughter. Both their jackets were drenched in snow. Percy and the others were left unnoticed. Percy's anxiety instantly turned into an angry type of bemusement.

"N-Nico. Hey, Nico." Luke noticed them. His arm went down from Nico's shoulders to Nico's waist. Percy's eyes darted straight to it.

Nico turned his head. He reddened from head to toe in a split second.

"Surprise!" everyone yelled. Well, everyone except Percy who instinctively approached Nico and stole him from the clutches of the one he called "Luke." Percy then put his own arm around Nico's shoulders.

"Hey Nico," he said, feigning joy but hinting antagonism. "We threw you a birthday lunch."

"Not a party," Rachel butted in.

Nico met Percy's gaze with eyes and mouth wide open. He was speechless. Percy was not about to put up with that, though.

"Who's _this_ guy?"

Nico turned to Luke, then to the uncomfortable audience, and then to Percy. "Luke," he said. "It's Luke from…from…"

"NYU. I'm Dr. Di Angelo's student," Luke said, flashing a tiny smile. "Look, I think I'm making people uncomfortable here, so… I better go." _Yeah. You better._

"No!" Nico exclaimed. "You can stay. He can stay, right guys?" Several nods were received from the spectators. Nico turned to Percy, who snorted, showing his contempt.

"Yeah, sure. Fine." Percy managed.

"See, Luke. Stay."

Luke smiled and nodded. He put a hand on Nico's shoulder and squeezed it. Percy eyed the blonde boy. _This guy. He pisses me off._

"Can I talk to you for a second, Nico?" Percy said.

"But…but what about the –"

"Guys!" Percy yelled. "I bet you're all hungry."

"Yeah," Annabeth said, sensing the predicament. "Let's all go to the dining area." She gestured her hands to the said area's direction.

Percy pulled Nico to the nearest vacant room. He opened a door that led to what was apparently Bianca's bedroom. There was a bed with black sheets, a large Audrey Hepburn portrait and lots more stuff that Percy didn't care to appreciate.

The brunet boy slammed the door shut. He let go of Nico's arm and gave him an urgent expression, which was then met by Nico's flustered expression.

"This party…" Nico began. "You arranged a party…for…my birthday…for my…"

"It's a birthday lunch, not a party. We were careful not to make that mistake," Percy stated. "But that wasn't what I pulled you in here for."

Nico arched his eyebrow.

"Who was that Luke guy? And…and why was he…was he so _touchy _with you?"

Nico winced. "Touchy…?" he said. "What do you _mean_ touchy? He just had a fucking _arm_ around me, Percy."

"That could mean a lot of things," Percy said, indignantly.

"Like?"

"Maybe he likes you," Percy said, regrettably.

"We're _friends_. He's been a massive help to my dad's research," Nico argued. "I ran into him in the street. And…I don't even know how you can _think_ of any other explanation for that."

There was a long pause.

"Look," Nico said. "You're the one who threw me a…a birthday lunch. Please…please let me enjoy it. I don't want to get into a useless discussion with you please."

Nico pushed past Percy and headed out of the room. Percy followed him, unsatisfied by the conversation. He grabbed Nico by the arm.

"Hey," he said. "Nico. We're not finished talking."

"I say we are," Nico said.

Percy gulped. Nico released himself from Percy's hold and walked off to the dining room. Percy heard several "Happy Birthday!" shouts as Nico entered the room. Percy stayed in the living room and slumped back on one of the black couches.

"Shit," he said to himself, rubbing his face with both hands.

_I can't believe this._

* * *

><p>Nico seemed to enjoy the birthday lunch very much. Percy tried to find happiness in that, but sadly, he couldn't. Nico was angry with him. Percy was <em>fucking things up<em>, and by no means did it sit well with him.

"Hey." Percy turned to Annabeth who had just sat beside him on the big black couch. Nico was currently engaged with Luke and few Culinary Club girls who seemed to be smitten by the blonde boy. Percy had just met the guy and already loathed him. Something about Luke just screamed "hateable," at least to Percy.

"Heard you had a little bitch fit with Nico," Annabeth continued. Percy exhaled heavily.

"Yeah," he said, letting out a faint chuckle.

Annabeth gave him a worried look. "Perce. Sometimes…sometimes Nico just need a little space, okay? And…and it's nice that he's got a new friend."

"But…"

"I know what you're thinking, Percy and _believe_ me – Nico would never for another person. He would _never_. I promise you." Annabeth's warmth registered in her face. Percy pretended to smile. "You trust Nico, right?" Annabeth added.

Percy nodded instantly. "Yeah," he said. "Of course I do. And…Luke. Luke's just a friend. I…I just met him. So…yeah…I…I don't…I don't…" Percy pondered on something acceptable to say, but nothing came to him. "_God_, Annabeth. I don't _know_ what to think."

"Then don't think, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said. "You're better off not thinking too much about things if doing otherwise is just gonna turn you into this paranoid monster."

"Yeah… Right… Sure..." Percy paused, thinking of something lengthier to say. However, just like before, nothing came to him. "Totally right," he settled.

"Although you should probably talk to Nico once the lunch is over," Annabeth said.

"Yeah…I really should."

Percy decided to spend his time fruitfully – in some manner of speaking, at least. He played a game of poker with Grover, Travis, Connor, Rachel and her friend Ethan Nakamura from the art club, who Percy thought was 'okay.' Annabeth went off to Nico's neck of the woods. There two realms in the room. This was never how Percy planned the party to go. It was just _sad_.

The blowing of the birthday candle was done in a very _normal_ way. People sang happy birthday, and Nico blew the candle to make a wish. Nico _loved_ the cake. He loved it _a lot_. He ate almost half of it. What was depressing, however, was the fact that Percy decided not to tell him that he was the one who had it baked. Nico also resolved not to open the presents yet. He wanted to do that in private. Percy's gift, which he had wrapped in glittery red wrapping paper and a black bow, stood out from the rest.

It took more than two hours for everyone to leave. The Culinary and Art club members left the earliest so as not to "impose." Luke left next, to Nico's apparent dismay. Percy brushed this off, not wanting to get illogically angry. Rachel's friend Ethan left along with Luke, actually. Somehow, they ended up hitting it off. Apparently, they spoke with each other during the cake ceremony. Rachel and Annabeth left the apartment last. Percy didn't leave. He stayed as Nico said goodbye to the two girls.

They were both quiet for a few minutes. Nico faced the door. Percy stood right behind him.

"W-what do you want?" Nico said, breaking the silence.

"I…I…I wanna apologize," Percy stammered.

"You've…you've got nothing to apologize for," Nico said, blandly and unconvincingly. Percy wanted to make him turn around. Nico's face that Percy knew so well, always told him the truth. The present absence of pleasant emotion in Nico's voice made Percy wanted to see Nico's face, hoping that it expressed a different emotion other than sheer resentment.

"I do, Nico," Percy said. "I'm sorry I got too…too crazy there with Luke. I'm sure he means nothing to you."

"He _does_ mean something to me, Percy. He's a really close friend."

_For a friend, he's awfully intimate. _The thought entered Percy's head, but he decided against voicing it out. Instead, he bowed his head and said, "Yeah, okay. So I'm sorry, okay? I just…" He paused for a split second. "I just…hate it when you're growing _distant_ from me."

Nico finally faced Percy. He was red, not with embarrassment but with anger. "You know what, Perce?" he said. "I don't want to put up with your paranoia. Just _stop_, please. Just stop and let me do what I want."

"I just feel like I'm not part of your life anymore, Nico. It's…It's killing me okay?" Percy grabbed Nico's hands and looked him straight in the eye.

Nico glared. "Then go get killed. I don't care."

Percy's mouth froze open. He let go of Nico's hands. Nico rubbed them on his shirt, as if touching Percy was so disgusting. Percy desperately wanted to punch something or _someone_. He wanted to scream out. He wanted to cry. He felt like he was about to say something he was going to regret.

"Is this…is this about how…how I acted about the letter?"

Disgust and derision entered Nico's facial expression. He lifted his hands and burrowed them in his hair.

"Oh…Oh my _God_. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," he said, shaking his head. "I can't... I can't… I don't want to talk to you anymore. Oh my God, Percy. That happened _once_. Fucking, _once_. You still haven't let it go?"

Percy's regrettable statements just kept coming. "Well, if someone else likes you, I think I have the right to object."

Nico curled his eyebrows. His eyes emitted a deathly aura that scared Percy a great amount. "That's _rich_, Percy. _Rich_. Do you even know that every _single _girl at school _wants_ you? Maybe even the _guys_ want you, I don't know. How do you think that makes _me_ feel, huh? Get off your high horse, Percy. Don't be a selfish dick."

"I…" No words could be said.

"G-get out," Nico demanded.

"But –"

"J-j-j-justget_ out_!"

"I'm _sorry_, Nico."

"Get the _fuck_ out."

Percy swallowed. Nico moved out of his way. His arms were crossed, and his head was bowed. Percy couldn't see his eyes. He wanted to look into them. He wanted them to reassure him that everything was fine, but the notion was rendered feeble. Percy, feeling enormous amount of angst, held the doorknob. He turned it. The door creaked. Percy could've sworn it was mocking him. Hollowness enveloped Percy's heart as he stepped out into the hallway. He faced Nico one last time before leaving. The pale boy had his head bowed down. Evidence of anger still lingered in his face.

"I'm sorry Nico."

"Just get out."

* * *

><p>Percy was emotionless.<p>

He couldn't even feel sad anymore. He saw nothing but black and white. His room smelled like nothing. His hearing was impaired. His taste buds were dry. He felt naked even though he had just slipped on his gray shirt and blue shorts. Numbness swarmed all throughout his body. The stupidity of his words had sunk in hours ago. All he could do now was accept the punishment. He would just have to concede to the fact that Nico might not want to be with him anymore.

Percy wanted to call him, even though he knew it wouldn't do any good since it's only been six hours past their fight. However, those six hours felt like an eternity to Percy. It was already dark. Percy had shut off his lights in an attempt to sleep.

He _had_ to apologize again. The extreme necessity of that action was very clear. Nico was too special to let go. Percy just _had_ to do everything in his power to make sure they were not over. This was not something he would be asking advice for, though. It was essential that he do something on his own this time. He's had enough help from Rachel, Annabeth or whoever.

Percy heard the doorbell ring. Sally would probably get it. A thought entered Percy's mind, but he immediately brushed it off. It would be a crazy thing to think that it was Nico coming to make up. Nico would never do that. Percy _knew _that. Yes, Nico was a very sensitive boy, but at the same time, Percy knew that Nico had a high type of pride that wasn't about to be dissolved. That was already instilled in Percy's head.

Closing his eyes was the least grueling action that Percy could accomplish at the moment. Thinking was the _most_ grueling action, but Percy found himself doing that the most. He lightly placed two fingers on his lower lip. He recalled all the times he kissed Nico and how good it felt. Nico had never given him a chance to do that since the surprise home visit.

Breathe in, breathe out – a very silly attempt to wash away the numbness. _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ Percy thought to himself. He clenched his fists and hammered himself on the face. Still no pain.

Two bumps on the door.

Percy sat up. "Mom?"

Two more bumps on the door.

"Mom, come in," he said.

More bumps on the door.

"Mom? Paul? You can come in if you want," Percy said. After he spoke, he heard two more bumps. No voice was heard from the other side of the door. Percy wrinkled his eyebrows. He stood up and approached his door.

He turned the doorknob.

Percy's mouth fell open.

His desensitized state was hacked down. His heart rate increased to a hundred beats per minute. The energy that soared through him was unthinkable.

Nico had his head bowed. His features were tense. His teeth sunk on his lower lip. He opened his mouth, clearly about to say something. His fingers tangled together as they held the Prometheus and Epimitheus figurines.

"P-Percy. I…I opened your gift."

"N-_Nico_."

Their surroundings were dark except for a dim light coming from the living room. However, Percy knew the other boy well enough to know what he looked like right now. He also knew that putting his arms around Nico would be one of the best decisions he would ever make in his life.

His arms were firm and secure around Nico's torso. "I'm…I'm sorry, Nico," he said. "I was so stupid. I had no right to…to…"

"No, Percy. _I'm_ the one who's stupid. I…I was being a jerk. I…I don't know what I'm doing. I…" A sniffle escaped Nico's nose. A sad whimper exited his mouth. Nico sobbed as he continued to speak. "You're not selfish, Percy. You're the opposite of that. The complete opposite. You're...You're..."

"Shhh. You don't have to say anything." Percy gripped Nico's body even tighter. His voice was calm and soothing. "I love you, okay? Always remember that." Nico started to feel incredibly hot under him.

"I love you too, Percy. I love you _so much_." Percy was shocked to hear that come out of Nico's mouth.

"I know," Percy said. "Let's...Let's not...Let's not fight again, okay? Let's not. I don't want to fuck us up. I never want that to happen."

Nico sniffled. "I...Just...If we ever fight again...Please..."

"Shh, Nico. Don't think about that." Percy caressed Nico's back, trying to soothe his anxiety. He implanted his nose into Nico's jet-black hair. It was cold. It must have been freezing outside. He wanted to transport his warmth to Nico even though Nico's skin was already very fired up. His deficiency of any idea to achieve that drove him crazy. His head was in a thousand knots.

Nico slipped his figurines into his large jacket pockets. He started breathing heavily. He rested his head on Percy's chest. His hands took hold of the edge of Percy's shirt. His breaths became rapid and desperate. Then, taking Percy by surprise, he sneaked his hands under Percy's shirt.

"I wanna make it up to you, Percy." His hands felt hot as they touched Percy's skin.

Percy shivered. He lifted his head and stared at Nico in disbelief. Nico's eyes were full of longing. They sent a clear message to Percy's head. _Is he suggesting what I _think_ he's suggesting? _Percy gulped. He tried to give a calm response, but what departed his mouth was definitely the opposite of cool, calm and collected.

"Y-y-you want to…have…"

Nico bobbed his head and exhaled, making Percy feel a hot air rush through his body. "Y-you don't have to if…if you don't r-really w-want t-t-to," Percy managed. "I mean, I…I know y-you're sorry Nico, and _I'm_ s-sorry, b-but you d-don't have to do anything to…to…"

"Do _you_ not want to?" Nico's hazelnut eyes pierced through Percy's being.

The question was direct. It was enamoring. It was incredibly and unbelievably enticing.

Percy could do nothing but press his hot mouth against Nico's succulence. He kicked the door closed after pulling Nico inside. He fumbled, making sure the lock was secure.

"H-happy birthday Nico," Percy said, breathing heavily. His heart beat _wildly. _He was quite sure that he was about to have a heart attack. Every part of his body was stirred up. He forcefully pulled off Nico's jacket. His fingers then grabbed on to Nico's back. Their sloppy mouths parted feverishly. Their tongues lashed against one another's as if they were tasting the most delectable, mouth-watering and sinful dessert on Earth.

"Y-yeah," Nico replied to his taller lover. He circled his arms around Percy's neck, sinking in to Percy's pool of desire. Percy stumbled on the bed. Nico sat right down on Percy's lap. Nico then grabbed on to the hem of Percy's shirt. Percy smiled in the middle of their lip lock and conceded to what Nico wanted him to do.

He lifted his shirt, exposing his sturdy upper body. He looked at Nico, who stared at his torso with eyes beaming and teeth crushed on his lip. Percy grinned like an idiot. "You like what you see?" he said. Nico glared jokingly in response. He bowed his head. Percy wondered why, but he instantly found out. Nico lifted his shirt up. As Percy laid eyes on Nico's pale, thin and _alluring _figure, he blushed.

Percy's arms went around Nico's waist. Feeling severe drive and intense vigor, he lifted him up just a bit and laid him down on the bed. He continued impaling Nico's lips. Then, in a moments time, he moved his lips to Nico's neck. He was met by a loud whimper and the feeling of Nico's hands shivering on his back. At the same time, his hands traveled from Nico's stomach to his chest. He felt Nico shiver as he did so.

A thought suddenly occurred to Percy. A thought that was very important to address in this situation. "Hey," he told Nico. "Whose…whose back is gonna hurt tonight?" That was the best euphemism for '_who's gonna get fucked?' _that Percy could think of.

Percy expected Nico to hit him. He expected he'd receive a shout from the flustered male. He anticipated every reaction imaginable except what Nico actually did. It was a reaction that made Percy redden like the ripest tomato in the planet. Percy felt like the heavens were too kind to give him this unbelievably wonderful and spine-tingling boy.

Nico bit his lip. His fingers went down to the small of Percy's back, rubbing it in the most unseemly way possible. His eyes held a suggestive aura. There were still traces of his sobs, but the edges of his lips curved up, making him have an impish, and _unfairly beautiful_ smile. He uttered words that would not be erased from Percy's memory any time soon.

Nico breathed in before the words escaped his mouth.

"Mine, _moron_."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Sorry there was no <em>actual <em>sex. I decided I won't change the rating to M after all – _although_, I might make a companion fic that _is_ rated M and another companion fic that's…well…I don't want to reveal anything (both one-shots).**

**This chapter is supposed to be like a preparation for stuff that's gonna happen next. So yeah, TILL THEN! (Won't make any promises for when I'm gonna post it – but expect it soon, I guess.)**

**~ LC.**


	10. Chapter 10

**New chapter! It's a very…bittersweet one. I had to watch 500 Days of Summer and listen to a lot of depressing music to get this done. **

**Anyway, here it is – chapter _bleeping _ten.**

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairing: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO)

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a little OOC. Sorry for random grammatical errors that are sure to appear!

* * *

><p><strong>Skinny Love<strong>

**Chapter 10**

Percy's eyes slowly opened. His body felt amazing. He stretched his arms, letting out a delighted groan. Lightness rushed through his organs. Satisfaction overwhelmed his chest. The cool air of the morning felt unbelievably soothing. He felt weightless, as if he could just fly out of the window without struggle. The laws of Physics were rendered meaningless. The frothy sensation he experienced helped it seem like he was occupying more than one space at the same time and like he was going through time in his desired pace. He felt like dancing in the sky to an 80s classic, or some song by Katy Perry.

Percy reveled with his thoughts. He turned to his left only after a few minutes of delighted contemplation. Nico was sitting up, with his hands on his cherry-streak face.

"Hey," Percy said. "Something wrong?"

Nico groaned. "My…my _you know_…it…it hurts."

Percy sat up, getting wide-eyed and flustered. He grabbed Nico's arm. "I…I'm sorry, Nico," he fussed. "Was I too rough? Too forceful? Oh my God. Oh shit. Do you need a doctor or something? I… Nico. Shit. Maybe you should lie down. Maybe you should –"

"Stop panicking, Perce," Nico said, being strangely calm. "I'll get over this. After all…it was…" He blushed. "It was worth it."

Percy reddened. He turned away from Nico and started awkwardly surveying his room. The room was a complete mess. Lubricant had spilled on the floor from the bottle they used last night. Their clothes were in a very unruly pile by the bedside table. Their boxers were under Percy's desk chair and study table. Percy didn't really remember the exact details of the removal of the clothes, so he had no idea how they could have gotten there.

"You really think it was worth it?" Percy asked.

Nico put down his hands. He wore a slightly angry expression. He turned to Percy. "Yes," he said, matter-of-factly. "And don't make me say it again."

Nico turned away. Percy smiled. He examined Nico's naked body. The blanket covered his lower limbs, but his torso was very much exposed. There were bite marks all over his chest up to his neck. Percy yearned to leave more. Unconsciously, he placed a hand on Nico's cheek and forced the other boy to return his gaze. Nico stared at Percy, appearing a bit shocked. The brunet tilted his body downward and coerced his lips with Nico's moist crevice. The kiss was chaste and unperturbed, very much unlike the ones they shared last night. Both types, however, were equally pleasurable.

"This is so unfair, Percy," Nico said, in the middle of their kiss. Percy halted. His concern was displayed in his facial expression. "What's unfair?" he asked.

"_This_. The kissing. It always makes me…frustrated. Not like angry frustrated but like…_I really love you and I can't stand it_ frustrated."

Percy grinned. "If you want me to stop, you should quit saying things like that." Percy started planting soft kisses on Nico's cheek. Gradually, he moved down to Nico's neck. He tangled his hands with Nico's, attempting to make Nico feel more at ease. No protest was received from Nico – just loud, untamed breathing. Percy continued, "If…If you say those things… I can't help but…but want to…_sink into you_ again."

Nico chuckled. "Not today," he said. "Too…" He paused because Percy had bitten a sensitive spot. "Sore…" Percy sucked on Nico's collarbone, tasting the sugared wetness that was Nico's sweat. Percy nibbled, driving Nico to a weak tremble.

The scrawny boy's hands settled on Percy's shoulders. "St-stop," he said. "P-_Percy_." No matter how much Nico tried pushing Percy away, passion just kept overpowering him.

"Percy, I…I really can't right now," Nico managed.

Percy's head came to a standstill. He breathed heavily on Nico's neck. "Yeah," he said. "Of course. Sorry." He hoisted his head up and gazed at Nico's face. Rosy and tense was exactly how Percy would describe the uneasy boy's countenance.

"You feel alright?" Percy asked, with warmth and concern. "I really think I overdid things. It… It was just impossible to stop, you know? You were just so…_so damn_ –"

Nico hastily placed his left hand over Percy's mouth. "Shut up," he said. "Shut the fuck up." Percy was pleasantly shocked.

Nico put his hand down. "I…" He looked up to the ceiling and shut his eyes. "I think I have to apologize again, Percy. For…for the way I acted yesterday." His hands went back to his face. "I really don't know what I'm doing Percy. It's just… Sometimes I… Even now I…"

"Shush, Nico," Percy said. He pulled his nude lover into a soft embrace. "We won't ever talk about that again," he continued. "That's all in the past."

"I know, but I think… If we ever…"

"If we ever what, Nico? Fight again?" Percy wanted to be cynical about that notion. "I promise you that won't happen anymore, okay?"

"Don't make that kind of promises, Perce," Nico said, hinting a desolate emotion.

Percy tightened his grasp. He didn't acknowledge what Nico had just said. His body still felt light and breezy, so it failed to accept anything that contradicted that feeling. His senses were overloaded, yet somehow it made things feel easier. It gave him a sense of _power_ and drive. He had power to control his urges. His head was brimming with the image of their evening of debauchery. Nico's moans, Nico's breathing and Nico's heat played like an unchained melody in Percy's mind. However, his urge to reenact the scene was tamed by his powerful emotion. Percy's caring behavior towards Nico manifested his massive drive to soothe and reassure the other boy.

Nico lowered his head to the taller boy's chest. "I…I think I have to go," he said, faintly.

Percy pulled a face. "What? _Why?_" he whined. He held Nico even tighter. "_Don't go_."

"I need to," Nico said, pulling away from Percy's hold. He looked around, appearing a little tense. "Where are my boxers?" he asked.

"I'm not telling you," Percy said, childishly.

Nico glared. He nudged Percy away and took the blanket for himself. He got on his feet and studied the room. "This room always looks like shit," he said, approaching the study table. He held his sore backside as he walked. Percy blushed and covered his lower body with a pillow, so as to avoid any unseemly views.

"Got it," Nico said, picking up his wrinkled underwear. He studied the garment, and looked irked by what he discovered. "God," he continued. "I…I don't think I can wear this… M-mind if I grab one of yours?"

Percy grinned. "_Of course_," he said. Nico rolled his eyes. After which, he rummaged through Percy's dresser near the bed as he looked for a pair of boxers that might fit him.

"You have anything here that _doesn't_ have your name on it?" Nico asked, referring to the fact that Sally had sewn "Percy" on every single one of the boxers. Percy personally thought it was cool.

"No," Percy said, smiling. "I'm afraid not." Nico pursed his lips. He settled on Percy's black boxer shorts with "Percy" sewn in white. He dropped the blanket and slipped the shorts on hurriedly. Percy watched him, still not wanting him to leave.

"Hand me one," Percy said. Nico grabbed a pair from the dresser and threw it to Percy, who caught it effortlessly. Nico took his clothes from the floor and started putting them on.

Upon wearing his boxers, Percy stood up and walked behind Nico, who already had just finished putting his shirt and pants on. Percy slung his arms around the boy's torso and nestled his head on Nico's dainty shoulders. "You really can't stay?" he asked.

Nico lifted his own hands and took hold of one of Percy's arms. "I really can't," he said. "I…I need to go."

"_Why?_" Percy complained.

"Parents," Nico replied. "Work."

"Work _again_? You haven't even showered. You're a mess." Nico seriously looked all grungy and scruffy. His hair was ruffled. His clothes were soiled. His neck was full of marks. His shoes were even worn out – although, _that_ wasn't Percy's fault.

"Yes… I… I'll just take a shower at home. Now, Percy – you can let me go."

Percy obeyed. Nico took his jacket on the floor and made sure all his things were still there. He slipped it on. Percy sat back on his bed, and stared at Nico. The pale boy fumbled through his pockets. Percy saw him take out the two figurines he gave him.

Nico returned Percy's gaze. His lips curved, making him have a sweet twinkle on his face. "Thanks for these, Percy," he said. "I can't…I can't thank you enough." He bit his lip. "I…Well…" He drew near Percy and leaned in.

The gentle kiss gave Percy chills. His arms stiffened and his heart started feeling mushy. Cupcakes and rose petals started appearing all over him.

Nico breathed heavily as he pulled away from Percy's lips. "Okay," he managed. "I…I'm gonna go now."

Nico took a few steps back, laughing anxiously. He turned to the door and walked stiffly towards it, with his hand on his sore backside. He struggled to turn the doorknob. Percy was speechless and smiling the whole time.

When Nico managed to get the door open, he took one last look at his stricken lover. "Bye, Perce," he said, awkwardly and rapidly before turning away and running off.

Percy beamed. He laid his unclothed body down and pressed his hands on his face. The lightness he felt a while ago heightened to a level indiscernible to the average human mind. He felt loved, which, in retrospect, is the best feeling in the world. His heart brimmed with happiness. Surely, there was only one person who could make him feel like this – just _one_.

* * *

><p>Percy was stuck in a seemingly permanent afterglow. This was especially true due to the fact that Nico was very much fine with idea of Percy eating lunch with him and Annabeth on this cold Monday afternoon.<p>

The three of them sat in the school cafeteria, with Annabeth sitting across from the two boys. This was their arrangement every time Percy tagged along. They didn't know whether the people around them suspected there was something strange with their dynamic, but Percy didn't care. Nico probably cared, though, because he wouldn't let Percy touch him. However, Percy was not about to get disheartened by _that_ today, not after what they just did the other night.

"How exactly did you two make up?" Annabeth asked. She eyed the two with a puzzled expression. They each had a big slice pizza for lunch. Percy was taking a bite of his when Annabeth spoke. Nico wasn't even able to _try_ eating.

Percy smiled. Nico flushed. Annabeth cocked an eyebrow. "Is someone gonna answer me or am I just gonna have to think of my own explanation?"

"No!" Nico said, shaking his head. "I…I went to Percy's house that night. I…I apologized. That was it." He turned to Percy. "Right, Perce?"

"Yeah, sure," Percy said, still smiling. He took a bite of his pizza looking very sly and suggestive. He felt very flippant today.

"See," Nico said, tensely.

Annabeth looked cynical. "You two had sex didn't you?"

Nico's eyes broadened. His skin fired up like molten lava. Percy cracked up.

"You know what, don't answer that," Annabeth said, shaking her head.

Percy noticed Nico looking relieved. He giggled.

Nico took a bite of his pizza. His movements were awkward and perturbed. Annabeth looked around. Something from behind Percy made her quirk her eyebrows.

"Special delivery." Rachel Elizabeth Dare spoke from completely out of the blue. Percy and Nico both turned their heads. Rachel was holding a heart-shaped card – very similar to the one Nico received two weeks ago. Percy curled his eyebrows. A sense of agitation started to rise up inside him.

"What the fuck is that?" Percy said, suddenly.

Rachel snickered. "For Nico," she said, holding out the card. Nico turned to Percy, with guilt and worry in his eyes.

"What are you waiting for Nico?" Percy said, with contempt. "Take it."

Nico cleared his throat. He took the card from Rachel's hand. The redhead subsequently walked to Annabeth's side of the table and invited herself to sit.

"_Read it aloud_," Annabeth said, impatiently.

Nico glanced at every one of them. He looked apprehensive, but he managed to open his mouth and speak.

"Nico," he began. "I…" He groaned. "I can't do this," he said, shaking his head. "I can't read it aloud. I don't want to."

"Gimme," Annabeth said, commandingly. Nico immediately handed the card to her.

"So," she said. "Okay." Her left eyebrow rose. "_Nico_," she started. "I hope you haven't forgotten about me." Percy was listening attentively, with feelings of dread in his stomach. "I heard your birthday party didn't go so well…" She paused.

"How would… Ugh. Never mind." She moved on: "If I were to throw you a party, I would make sure it's a success. I mean it." Anger filled Percy's features. Annabeth moved to the next paragraph, "I also heard about you friend Luke." Annabeth paused again. "I thought he was _nice_," she continued.

_Wait_, Percy thought. "The…the admirer was at the lunch?" he said.

"_Apparently_," Annabeth said. "The rest of the letter's just…just describing how much Nico deserves to be loved and shit."

"Rachel," Percy said. "Do you have anything to do with this by any chance?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "_No_," she said.

"Then how did you get the letter?" Percy asked.

"Someone put it in _my_ locker," she explained. "I don't know why. It was just there."

"You seem to be acting pretty nonchalant about it," Percy disputed.

Nico seized Percy's arm. "Percy," he said. "L-let's not make a fuss about this." Percy looked at Nico, whose expression signaled worry and anxiety. "If Rachel…If Rachel says she found it in her locker, then that's where she…she found it. Why are you worrying about this, anyway? It's not as if I care." Nico sounded dead serious.

"Yeah, Percy," Annabeth said. "No need to be paranoid."

Percy eyed Rachel. Her head was turned away, like it was looking for something from far away. Percy had an itching suspicion that she wasn't telling them the full truth.

"Okay." Percy feigned surrender. "This is probably nothing, right? It's just a stupid admirer."

Annabeth started to look worried as well. "Yeah," she said. "It's _nothing_."

"L-let's just leave it," Nico said, squeezing Percy's arm. "It really isn't worth it. It really isn't."

Rachel pursed her lips. "Trust me, Percy. This…this _admirer_ has got nothing on you. You're a saint for God's sake."

Percy bowed his head. He guessed he would just have to let it go for now.

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

><p>Nico went home with Percy that day. <em>That<em> made Percy very, very happy. Nico made sure they did homework before they did _other _things, though. Nico brought his laptop along with him this time, since they were writing a paper for their European History class.

"Neeeekow," Percy joked, as he stared at the deathly pale boy who was trying to focus on the paper. They both sat cross-legged on Percy's bed.

Nico scowled, upon hearing Percy speak. "Concentrate on your work Perce," he said, as he typed a few words on his laptop.

Percy pulled a face. He stood up and advanced toward his study table. He turned on his blue laptop and sat back on his desk chair. "I hate homework," he said, turning his seat to Nico.

"Well, who loves it?" Nico said, with eyes glued to his screen.

Percy sighed. He faced his laptop and opened Microsoft Word. He started typing. They were asked to write about scientists and scientific discoveries during The Enlightenment. They read a text about scientists like Newton and Copernicus at school, and their teacher was now making them write a summary and short reaction. Percy was bored with the idea, to say the least, but since Nico was doing it, he might as well do it too. Percy just typed and typed whatever he remembered. He also referred to a few of his notes on the topic. A summary was easy _enough_ to do, so Percy wasn't really worried about getting an F in this particular work.

Nico looked a little troubled while he was writing. It was as if there something nagging his head. Percy noticed this during his few peeks at Nico's direction. Percy brushed it off for a while, but then he turned to Nico's direction another time and saw that Nico was lying down with his hands covering his face.

"Something wrong?" Percy asked.

"Nothing," Nico said, his hands slipping down to the sheets.

Percy gulped, thinking of something that _could_ be wrong. "Is this about the stalker?"

"No, Percy," he said, in a serious tone. "It isn't. I'll only be worried about that if you are."

"Y-yeah," Percy stammered. "Totally. But…what _is_ wrong, then?"

"Y' know what." Nico sat back up. "It's… It's nothing. I was just… Well, for a second… Ugh. Never mind, Perce. Let's…let's just write our essays."

Percy was not about to let it go just yet. "_Nico_," he urged. "Tell me."

"Really, it's _nothing_," Nico insisted, trying to go back to typing. "I was just…_thinking_ about something, that's all."

"Thinking about _what_?"

"School, family, Annabeth, _you_. Whatever." He bobbed his head down. "Please just let it go, Percy."

Percy let out a heavy sigh. "Fine," he said. "Just make sure you're okay." He turned back to his laptop, and started typing again. Nico being cryptic didn't sit well with him, but there wasn't really anything he could do about it. Nico wouldn't let him.

_At least it isn't about the stalker_, Percy thought.

The stalker was part _Percy's_ worries, though. He wondered how exactly he or she was able to know about the party. Percy racked his brains out to find an answer, but nothing came out. No one at the party seemed like a stalker – although, stalkers aren't exactly the most _out there_ of people. Percy also wondered why Rachel got the letter in the first place. He really wanted to believe that she found it in her locker, but it didn't make sense.

Now, Percy had _another_ thing to be doubtful about. Nico's behavior confused him. He really hoped whatever was in Nico's head wouldn't interfere with their relationship. Truth be told, if he and Nico just stayed happy, Percy wouldn't really care if he never found out what Nico was thinking about or even who the secret admirer was. As long as Percy knew that he was happy and _loved_, he was contented.

"I'm done," Nico announced, as he shut down his laptop.

"_Really_?" Percy marveled. "That fast?"

"Yeah," Nico said, smugly. "You?"

"...no." Percy felt a tad bit dejected. Nico sighed at this. "Speed up, will you," he demanded. Nico carefully inserted his laptop in his backpack and took out a pocket book.

"What's that?" Percy asked.

Nico creased his eyebrows. "Oh...this?" he said. "Neverwhere…by Neil Gaiman."

Percy smiled. "Totally forgot you were into those stuff," he said.

Nico rolled his eyes. "It's not _stuff_. It's books. Sci-fi novels. Best novels in the world."

Percy chuckled. "I'll look into that," he said.

"Finish your paper," Nico pushed.

"What's the rush?" Percy asked, jokingly.

Nico glared. "You know why," he said, concealing his face behind his pocket book.

Percy cracked up. "Yeah, yeah. I shall."

Paranoia? Percy set that aside for the moment. At present, he was by all means determined to finish his _damn_ paper and move on to _better things_.

* * *

><p>When Nico said "I don't have to help my dad anymore," Percy felt nothing but happiness. He relayed the news during one of their lunches together, which, by the way, was <em>everyday<em> now. Well, everyday except Fridays – just slike their arrangement before when he was with Annabeth. Nico finally budged. Both Percy and Annabeth were very delighted by that.

There was, however, something Percy noticed that gave him a bit of anxiety. When the good news was delivered, Nico didn't say it like he was happy it was over. He said it like he was disappointed that it was over. Percy didn't really know what to make of it.

Nico also didn't seem very _okay_ with Percy tagging along everyday. Percy wasn't sure if that was what he was unhappy about, but it sure felt like it. Nico would always have this bored expression on his face. Percy would make jokes, and he wouldn't laugh or make any comments. All he did was smile a little. Annabeth probably noticed this too, but she didn't address it.

Bored and sullen Nico even stayed when another letter came – another letter from the admirer, to be precise. He found it in his locker this time. Rachel had no involvement. Nico read it. He held it in his hand like it was some tedious passage they had to read for their Literature class. He then threw it in the trash like it was _nothing_. Percy wasn't even concerned about the _letter_ anymore. He was more concerned by Nico's uncommunicative disposition.

Nico was at Percy's house almost every night. They studied, they kissed, and they even made love once. They had a _routine_. Nico seemed happiest during these times, although his dull monotony still lingered. Friday was a little different from the other days, though.

"Percy." Nico started a conversation that night – a very troubling one.

"Yeah?" Percy replied.

They were sitting on the floor against Percy's couch. The play station was on, and they were playing a game of Mortal Kombat. They had done this before, actually. When the night was still unripe, they would play some games before moving on to their smooch fest.

"Do you think we spend too much time together?"

Percy creased his eyebrows. "_What_?" he said. "You _do_ realize you've been around almost _never_ for the past three weeks?" Nico put down his controller. Percy paused the game, and put down his.

Nico sighed. "I was just _asking_… Let's just play the game again." Nico gave Percy a tiny smile. Percy thought this was _beyond_ unfair. Smiling Nico always made him succumb.

Percy's was indeed in a muddle. Nico's behavior was confusing. One minute he does everything to stay away from Percy and then the next minute, he's all soft and warmhearted. _There must be something wrong_, Percy assumed. He needed to find out what. He really did.

* * *

><p>Saturday was going to be fun. Percy was determined to make it that way. Waking up that morning, Percy was happy. Nico was there. He was in deep thought. He had this look that would usually come with a cigarette if they were in some dark movie. Percy decided not to ask what was wrong. Instead, he decided to tackle him. Nico played along, to Percy's surprise.<p>

Nico said he wanted to go out for breakfast. Then, when Sally learned where they were headed, she insisted that she give Percy money for spending. Percy humbly accepted.

The couple went to this café a few blocks away from Percy's apartment. According to Percy, they had the _best_ pancakes there. Nico was a little cynical, but he just had to find out for himself.

They sat in a booth while waiting. Percy's right arm was slung around Nico's shoulders. Nico was presently trying to take a sipt of his hot chocolate.

"Don't you just _love_ winter, Nicky?" Percy said, referring to the cool, refreshing atmosphere.

"Yeah," Nico agreed. "It's… It's great."

"Makes you wanna have a snowball fight."

"No it doesn't."

"Yeah it does." During the whole conversation, Percy and Nico's faces were almost touching. Percy leaned in, making there noses touch. "It really does," he added.

"Whatever," Nico said, with a chuckle.

The waitress arrived with two plates of pancakes. She set them down, along with slabs of butter and a cup of maple syrup. It smelled delectable. Percy actually drooled when he took a whiff of it.

Nico, whose eyes were still on Percy, grabbed a napkin from the table and started wiping the drool from Percy's mouth. He did it steadily. Percy, who was a little late in realizing what was happening, turned to Nico and cocked an eyebrow.

"Um, thanks _mom_?"

Nico scowled and dropped the napkin on the table. He grunted. "I wouldn't have to this if you weren't acting like a giant, hungry baby."

"So you've finally noticed my baby face?"

"Yeah, _sure_." Nico rolled his eyes. "Just eat your pancakes, Percy."

"Yup. Will do, _mom_."

Nico acknowledged Percy's comment with a hard poke at his pancake with the use of a butter knife. Afterwards, he began spreading the butter and then he smothered the pancakes with syrup. His final action before commencing his pancake gobbling was to cut a large piece, which then entered his mouth.

Percy smiled. "I love you," he said, suddenly. Nico's hand froze for a second. "Yeah, I know," he said, before resuming his breakfast.

Percy started to eat. For a moment, he forgot all about the conversation with Nico last night. Nico's words entered his brain again for the umpteenth time.

"_Do you think we've been spending too much time together?"_

They rang in Percy's ear, painfully so. It hurt him to think that Nico might be feeling…bored when they were together. He wanted to believe Nico didn't feel that way, but something told him that there was still something wrong. There was voice in Percy's head telling him that there was drama about to ensue.

Percy continued pondering deeply. He put back his arm around Nico's shoulder. He alternated between eating a piece of his pancakes – which were delicious, by the way – and taking a sip of his hot chocolate. He added another spoonful of sugar into his drink, thinking that it was still a little bitter. He struggled a little with the eating and the drinking because he was only using one arm, but he didn't really care. He wanted Nico to be as close as possible.

Percy thought some more about their conversation last night. He recounted every single painful detail. He shut his eyes, trying to shake off the memory. Then, a sudden voice abruptly shoved away his thoughts.

"Nico! What a coincidence!"

The number one man on Percy's 'people I don't want to see ever' list entered their sight. Nico dropped his silverware. He then scooted slightly away from Percy, and released his shoulders from Percy's arm.

"Luke! Wow! You're…you're _here_. W-why?" Nico was unable to vocalize any meaningful sentences.

"Came here with a few friends. I love this place, you know," Luke said. "They've got the _best_ pancakes here. You probably already know that, though."

"Y-yeah," Nico managed.

Percy nudged Nico's arm, trying to remind the flustered boy of his existence.

"Oh. You remember Percy, right?" Nico said.

"Yeah, sure…from the party. _Oh yeah_." Luke paused. He appeared to be studying the situation. "Are you…" he began. "Are you two together?"

Percy was about to speak up and say "yes," but Nico beat him to the punch.

"No_,"_ – it was a different punch from what Percy actually wanted to hear.

_No? …no? W-what? No? _Percy felt baffled by what he had just heard.

"We're just friends," Nico continued, adding salt to the wound.

"Oh… Okay…" Luke said, giving them a weird look. "I better get going then."

"Y-yeah," Nico stammered. "Bye."

Luke did a little wave. "Yeah, bye," he said. With that, he walked away to a separate table where a bunch of sleepy teenagers sat – probably work soaked college students.

"Let's go," Nico said. "We can't stay here." He was about to stand up, but Percy took hold of his arm.

"Why not?" he said. "Because _Luke_ might think something's going on?"

"Yes," Nico declared, indignantly. He laid down his share of the payment on the table and began his movement towards the exit. Percy stood up after him, unwillingly so. He put down a few dollars on the table before rushing to Nico.

"Are you gonna explain to me what just happened there?" Percy said, as they stepped out to the snow-covered sidewalk.

"I'm sorry, but I'm just not comfortable telling Luke, okay? I hope you can understand that."

Percy lowered his head. "I don't understand, Nico. I really don't."

"Percy. I…I _swear_, it didn't mean anything. It's just… It's just me chickening out like usual, you know? You of all people must know what that feels like."

Percy breathed in and out. Nico did have a point. Back when they first got together, they didn't tell _anyone_ right off the bat. _I guess I can let this one go_, he thought.

"Yeah," Percy said. "Yeah. Totally."

There was a moment of silence. Nico only broke the quietude when he grabbed Percy's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I love you Percy," he said.

Percy's eyes fell agape. His mouth opened and formed a delighted smile. _This is so unfair_, Percy thought, blushing like an idiot.

"You're a _cheat_, Nico. A _cheat_. You know I can't stay mad at you when you do that," Percy said. Nico only snickered. "What do you want to do next?" Percy asked.

"Umm… I don't know." Nico's voice sounded a little sad and suppressed. Percy pursed his lips. He put an arm around Nico's shoulders. He deliberated on possible winter activities. Thinking of a fun undertaking for Nico, the overly aloof skeptic was indeed a knotty task. Percy had two choices: take a risk or just go for something safe. He rubbed his chin as he contemplated on the notion.

In the end, Percy decided to go with the former: _take a risk_.

"You wanna go skating?" he said, grinning with teeth displayed.

_Skating_. Yes, skating. Percy wanted to go skating with Nico. Percy didn't know _how_ to skate, and he'd be surprised if Nico did.

"I… That's…that's _new_." Nico was going to skate no matter what he said. Percy was going to force him to.

So skating-bound they went. Rockefeller Center was brimming with people – a lot of whom were couples. Nico, of course, was very apprehensive to enter. However, Percy managed to exert the right amount of force to persuade the other boy to embark on their little activity.

Percy was a natural, apparently. On his first try, he did _marvelously_. He moved like poetry – fluid, elegant and very much _unlike_ Nico di Angelo. Stumble, fall, stumble, fall, stumble, and fall were basically the order in which Nico's skating attempts occurred. Percy thought it was _aww_-worthy adorable. It was like Nico was a one-year old taking baby steps. The only time he could even manage to stay balanced was when Percy, the ever-loving boyfriend, held his waist.

Nico kept saying: "I shouldn't have agreed to this." Percy always replied with laughs, chuckles and tiny kisses on the cheek. They were _both_ having fun, Percy presumed. However, he also noticed a few moments that made him doubtful of Nico's enjoyment. The other boy would stay quiet for a few seconds and Percy would notice that he appeared more sullen that usual. Nico would also stare into the distance sometimes, and Percy always had to snap him out of it. Percy couldn't help but get a little anxious. Nico was keeping something cooped up inside, and Percy was afraid to find out what it was exactly.

Skating got a little humdrum after a while, so Percy and Nico decided to take a walk around town. First, they went around a bunch of clothing shops. They didn't buy anything, though. All they did was look around and leave. Percy suggested that they go to an arcade, but Nico said he wasn't "in the mood." Percy didn't know what to make of that, really. The next course of action was proposed by the pale boy himself. Weirdly enough, he wanted to go to a furniture store, particularly the one he saw nearby.

Nico browsed through a number of black couches when they got there. Percy stood by him, holding his hand and making several comments about how nice or how smooth the sofas felt. Nico's responses were always tiny, distant smiles. Percy returned them with his own small yet meaningful smiles.

They walked through an aisle of pastel-colored dining sets. Nico's felt really cold. In hindsight, maybe they both should've worn gloves out.

Then, passing by a dark blue oven, Nico suddenly let go of Percy's hand. His fingers slipped away one by one, in a very gradual manner. Percy's eyes stared, as if part of him was being taken away. Cool air rushed through his fingers, driving him to a slight shiver. Nico's hand brought itself to the upper region of the opposite arm. He rubbed slowly, displaying an insecure disposition. The trance Percy experienced made him unable to look away from the spot where their hands parted. It was a hollow and deathly spot.

"This looks interesting," Nico said, weakly. He moved on to another set, with Percy walking slowly behind him. For some unfathomable reason, a wall suddenly formed between the two of them. Percy's heart sank little by little and a weight started going down on his slumped shoulders. The smile he worked so hard to keep alight still remained, though.

"Persephone loves these places," Nico added, again very weakly. Percy responded with several nods, signaling a false understanding. Nico walked over to the bed section, and surveyed the soft minimalist-themed sleep sets. He sat on one with black sheets. He bounced a bit, trying to put its softness to the test. He looked up to the ceiling. His eyes fastened. Percy just stood there, watching intently.

"Percy," he said, still with his eyes shut. "Let's go somewhere else." The faintness in his tone exhibited a great amount of unhappiness.

The brown-haired boy smiled. He nodded in agreement to Nico's proposition. He didn't, however, hold out his hand for the boy. Instead, he waited for Nico to rise on his own, which, after a few awkward seconds, was executed.

They strolled through all the displays that they previously walked by. Getting outside was a slow undertaking. Once it was done, though, Percy's frosty emotions got even worse. He breathed in and out, inhaling and exhaling the cold, polluted air of New York. He buried his hands deep into his jackets, and turned to his companion, who gestured Percy to walk by him.

"Anywhere you have in mind?" Percy asked.

"Yeah," Nico said. "Bookstore."

There was a second-hand bookstore nearby. They walked towards it side by side, not hand in hand. Percy's chest continued feeling hollow and robotic. There was something wrong, but he didn't have the courage to ask what it was. He just continued smiling, and Nico continued looking gloomy.

They arrived at the bookstore where they were met by a very small number of people. They walked through many sections. They checked the classics. They even checked the novelty section. Percy tried showing Nico a funny picture book about the zombie apocalypse to make Nico laugh a bit, but Nico only responded with tiny smiles, once again.

Nico drew himself to the science fiction aisle with Percy right behind him. "I need to find…" He didn't continue what he was about to say. Instead, he slipped out a copy of Neuromancer by William Gibson.

"What's that about?" Percy asked.

"Dystopian," Nico said. "A personal favorite of mine." He put back the book and browsed through the other books on the shelves. Percy lit up slightly. He watched as Nico skimmed through another book, this time by Ursula Le Guin.

"These books," Percy started. "You love them, don't you?"

"Yeah," Nico said. His fingers swept through the pages slowly and carefully. He mouthed a few words, which Percy wasn't really able to catch.

Percy bowed his head. He really didn't understand why Nico was being so cryptic. He didn't understand the barrier. Why did it have to be there? Was it because of him? Did he do something wrong?

"What about…" He gulped. "What about me? Do you love me?"

The words just slipped out of Percy's mouth. His smile faded completely. Embarrassment was crystal clear. He shut his eyes, not wanting to see the expression that formed on Nico's face. He feared it would be negative. He feared Nico would say "no." Thinking about it made his heart beat rapidly.

There was a short pause before anything else happened. Percy was surprised by what Nico initiated. He suddenly felt a body go against him and two arms wrap around him. Then he heard a very soft, yet sweet utterance.

"Yes."

Percy latched on to Nico's back. He kept his eyes shut, trying to savor their tranquil moment, which lasted for who knows how long.

"Let's call it a day, Percy," Nico said, cutting off their silence. "Let's go back to your place."

"Yeah, yeah," Percy said. "Let's…let's get outta here."

Percy was let go and the two made their way for the exit. Percy tried taking Nico's hand, but then Nico did something to prevent it. When their fingers touched, Nico put his left hand on the adjacent arm. He rubbed it slightly – just like he did a while ago.

The cool weather emanated through Percy. Silence enveloped them despite the hustle and bustle of their surroundings. Percy wanted to make sure that Nico was still in fact _there_. He wanted to feel his skin and make sure there was something beyond all the hollowness and silence. However, they only walked. Nothing else.

"Hey," Percy said, randomly. The left edge of Nico's lips curved. He made the type of smile one would make in an uncomfortable circumstance. It was the type of smile made by people who were in a state of unhappy thought.

By the time they got to the apartment, Percy's heart had sunk a colossal amount. Nico said he was really tired, so they decided to just lie down on the bed. Percy was turned to Nico whose body was directed upwards. Percy examined Nico's every nook and cranny, trying to figure out what was wrong. It was feeble, however. The physical was insufficient to reveal the truth.

After a few moments of silence, Nico turned to Percy. Their eyes stared into one another's. Nico drew nearer. His eyes held a forlorn emotion. He leaned in to kiss Percy. It was evident in the pace that Nico wanted their lips to move slowly, and their intentions to be pure and vestal. He grabbed on to Percy's shirt. His fingers trembled mildy, showing his uneasiness. Percy let one of his hands ease towards Nico's restless digits and caressed them lovingly.

"Percy," Nico said, planting one last soft kiss on Percy's lips. "I've been… I've been thinking…"

Percy stayed silent. His eyes stayed on Nico's hazelnuts. His ears were ready to take in whatever they had to hear.

"I've been thinking," Nico continued. "That this…this _thing_ we're dong… _Us_. Is it really all it's cracked up to be?" Concern pierced through Percy's eyes. Nico spoke, "I'm afraid, Percy. I'm afraid of where this is all heading to." He paused to bite the inside of his lip. "Every time I'm not with you, I think about that, Percy. At school, or… when I was working. Then today, I woke up with you and…and I still thought about it. I couldn't shake it out, not like every other time we were together."

"I… I don't…" Percy was dumbfounded.

"How are we gonna know that we…we won't wake up one day and feel differently, Percy? Why…why are we even together, you know?"

"Because we love each other." Those were definitely the the right words. "And that won't ever change. I love you, and you love _me_, right? That's all we need to think about."

"Yeah, but…" Nico shut his eyes. A tiny teardrop flowed down his face. Percy leaned in, and brushed his lips against Nico's cheek. He washed off the tear, replacing it with light kisses and soft whispers. "Stop thinking," he said. "I love you," he said. Nico's breaths drifted through Percy's ears. Percy ran his hand through Nico's right arm. He relished its smoothness. He breathed in, smelling Nico's sweet aroma.

Percy sat up and, instinctively, Nico perched himself on Percy's lap. They continued their kiss, this time with more fever. Nico pressed his hands on Percy's face. Percy moved his hands to Nico's back and started slipping them into his shirt. He massaged Nico's skin while slowly lifting the clothing.

Nico dropped his hands and held the hem of his shirt. He lifted it up, revealing his pale chest. Percy followed suit. The undoing of other garments went fluidly and tenderly.

They swam in each other's kisses. They moved their bodies at the exact same pace. Percy felt completely immersed within Nico, who in effect, revealed a great longing to continue absorbing Percy's warmth. Breathing was difficult. Seeing anything but the other was even more so. Rocking together in a sweet, rhythmical velocity proved to be the most effortless of ventures.

Their hands were clasped together the whole time. Percy squeezed, trying to make the little moments when Nico showed signs of distance seem insignificant. He kissed Nico's neck, impelling the other boy to gasp and moan. Percy was drowning, but he never really struggled. He kept Nico with him in a bubble he fashioned deep inside his heart. He protected their moment from anything dissenting or melancholic. He let the water between them rise. He let the earth below them stand still.

He never wanted it to end.

But it did.

It had to.

Percy woke up in the middle of the night, noticing that Nico was no longer in his arms. He opened his eyes to see a note right beside him. He immediately saw what it said.

"_I'm sorry, Percy. I don't know what to do. I just…I just can't_."

Percy sat up. He heard slight bumps on the floor. He turned his head to see that Nico was still there, facing the door and picking up his jacket. Percy wrinkled his eyebrows. He wanted to scream out.

And so he did.

"What the _fuck_, Nico?"

Nico stood still. He turned his head slightly. He opened his mouth. "I'm sorry, Percy. I just don't know if I still want this… I…"

Percy stood up. He swiftly slipped his underwear back on before grabbing Nico and making him turn around.

"And you planned to tell me with a fucking _note_? You're…you're not doing this to me, Nico," he said, pointing a finger at the other boy's face. "You're _not_."

Nico avoided Percy's eye. He bit his lip before saying anything more. His voice became high-pitched and panicked. "We're _bound_ to fail, Percy. We're doomed. I don't… This… All the _kissing_, all the _love_. I don't know if I want that anymore. I don't know if that's what I want every single night."

"Don't you _love_ me, Nico?" Percy said, holding back a sob. "You said you loved me. You did. That's _unfair_. That's so unfair."

"I _do_ love you, Percy. I do. I can't even begin to describe how much." Nico breathed rapidly. "I love you so, so much, but…I don't know if that's all it takes, Percy! I don't know if I can just make my world revolve around just…just _one_ person."

"But _my _world revolves around you, Nico. And it _has_ for months." Percy's voice went hoarse and croaky. He couldn't hold back his tears anymore. They fell from his eyes little by little.

"You made me feel trapped, Percy! Love's not supposed to _do_ that!"

"What the _fuck_ do you want _me_ to do about it, huh? I've done everything I could to keep our relationship happy. I've done _everything_. Now, _you_. You don't even make an effort, Nico. You _don't_."

"I…I never asked you to fall in love with me."

"Believe me, it wasn't my choice."

"It wasn't _my _choice either, okay? So just…just…"

"Just what? Fuck off? I'll fuck off Nico. I will. I might even fuck off for good."

"It's for the best."

Percy stopped speaking for a moment. He let his anger subside a bit before saying anything more.

"Do you really mean that, Nico?" Nico didn't respond. "We're over? Just like that? You're not even giving me a real reason?" His tears kept falling down. The anger and the sadness sheathed the room. His heart couldn't take it. He took Nico's hands. "Nico, please." He kissed them. "I can't manage without you. I can't."

Nico shook his head. Percy persisted. He wouldn't let go of Nico's hands. Nico had to force himself away. He had to pull. Typical Nico – pulling away. He wasn't crying. He looked angry, even. Percy was grief-stricken. His cheeks flushed and his eyes burned his tears. The room was dark. His chest felt like a solid rock that was tumbling down Everest. It'd take forever for it to settle. Tears departed from his eyes continuously. He swore, he sniffled, he weeped. All he could do.

In a second, Nico was out. _Just like that_.

* * *

><p><strong>...I'm ready for my execution.<strong>

**You may have a bunch of questions about what comes next or about some things that happened here that seem unclear or pointless, but I shan't spoil anything. Anyway, thanks for reading guys. Next chapter comes in a week, probably. (Reviews are much appreciated)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Gods, this was hard to write. I was like staring at a blank document for three days. I finally decided, though, that I would be having TWO more instead of just ONE chapter. What I initially planned for this chapter seemed a little _rushed_, so I applied some "changes."**

* * *

><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairing: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO)

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a little OOC. Sorry for random grammatical errors that are sure to appear!

* * *

><p><strong>Skinny Love<strong>

**Chapter 11**

No amount of consoling could alleviate Percy's cold disposition. He sat by their dining table, fumbling with his peas and carrots. He spelled out the name that colonized every single district of his brain. He didn't sleep last night. He had no willpower to do that just yet. His eye bags were deep. His sclerae were red. His pupils looked lazy. His mouth formed an everlasting poker face. He topped his baggy dark blue shirt with his dark blue blanket. His gray sweat pants looked overused. His countenance in general was not appealing at all.

Sally watched her son as he sank in the hollow pit of depression. Percy knew she was watching, but he did nothing to show acknowledgement. He made a heart shape out of a few peas. Then he stared for a minute before gobbling each pea one by one. _He ate my heart_, he thought. _He ate it and he spit it out like phlegm._

When someone breaks your heart, your head convinces itself that _everything's_ been taken away. Even though your physical body's still there, it feels hollow and desolate. Percy was _sad_ yet he wasn't at the same time. He felt detached. He wanted cry but his tears had apparently run out.

"Mom," he said, lifelessly. Sally looked at Percy attentively. He continued, "I'm going back to my room." He then stood up slowly, stumbling a little bit from the chair. His mother looked worried, naturally. Percy was not about to tell her "I'm fine" because that would be the biggest lie on Earth. He just slowly walked to his room, with the ragged blanket wrapped around him.

His room was a vast space of pure despondency. His midnight blue sheets were tousled and soiled. He remembered why he had it changed into that color in the first place. Percy did it for _him_, because he thought _he_ would like it. He stared at the sheets for a minute before deciding to seat himself on the bed. He turned to his right. There was a handkerchief lying on the bed. It was black. Bits of snow were visible on several spots. Percy took it in his hand. He had an inkling on whom it belonged to. He unfolded it, revealing tiny white letters sewn on the lower right corner.

_Nico_.

Percy's head fell. He placed the cloth on his nose and breathed in deeply. It smelled like Nico. It was fragrant despite its frayed veneer. Percy could use this, to wipe up his tears – if any ever came again. Percy swung his head backward. He shut his eyes as he breathed in. Subsequently, he surveyed his room. The note Nico left lay on the ground. Percy couldn't bear to read the words again.

He set himself down on the bed. He positioned himself comfortably on his back. He tied the handkerchief to his arm, so as not to lose his only keepsake. He stared at his ceiling. Weirdly, he began to notice things that he hadn't before. There were tiny seahorses painted at the borders. They were _really_ tiny. There were little cracks near the light bulb. The light itself seemed dimmer than usual, although it could easily be an eye trick brought about by misery. Yes, that was how Percy explained it to himself.

Now, Percy wanted to sleep. It was two in the afternoon and he felt like sleeping until who-knows-when. He didn't have the will to sleep the prior night, but now, all he wanted to do was sleep. He wanted to dream. He wanted an escape. His eyes slowly fell. He caressed the wrist with the hanky tethered to it. He just really wanted to find a way to go back to the time when he was happy, and when Nico was _there_, because the fact that he _wasn't_ there was too much to handle. Percy just can't cope without him. He's forgotten how to be alone, to be _away_, to be _without_. His whole recollection was just Nico, Nico, Nico. His head was full, but his heart was vacant. Getting over everything would, decidedly, not be something Percy was all set to achieve.

* * *

><p>Percy dreamt about him every night. That was all he could do as he was willing himself to <em>heal<em>. Everyday single day, when Nico entered his sight, he can't help but light up. He knew he could do nothing but look, but the _sight_ was incontestably a paramount source of ecstasy. A smile never appeared on Percy's face, though. His eyes would just glint and his mouth would open upon seeing the other boy, who as expected, was still very sullen and unperturbed.

_When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,_

_For all the day they view things unrespected;_

_But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,_

_And darkly bright, are bright in dark directed._

**[From Sonnet 43]**

Shakespeare provided the words that Percy could comprehend but couldn't vocalize. Darkness had sucked him in, but his eyes would glimmer at the sight of his dearly loved. His paleness brings light. His hazelnuts bring hope. However, the _memories_ he carried with him held desolation and disdain, and when Percy's mind came to that realization, the darkness came rushing back.

He thought about what went wrong. He thought and he thought, and there wasn't anything he could really think of. Sure, they had several disagreements, but they only every had _one_ big fight before they separated, and it was, apparently, not even connected to the break-up. _You made me feel trapped_, he said. It nagged Percy's brain. What did he do to make Nico feel that way? Was he being too clingy? Was he being too affectionate?

Thankfully, Grover, Travis, and Connor decided to leave Percy alone for the time being, and so did Annabeth and Rachel. Percy spent the week in silence. He remained physically composed. No signs of sinking depression or intense longing were shown. He just sat and listened – to his friends talking about their lives, to Shakespearean Sonnets read aloud by his Literature teacher, to the insightful lectures of his History teacher, to the long explanations of his Physics teacher, to the yelling of his gym coach, to the sounds of the lunch trays clanging in the cafeteria, and to the footsteps of every passerby. He always hoped Nico would come and sit beside him suddenly, but that particular hope was a feeble one.

That's how week one came to pass. The week that succeeded it was much different. It was Tuesday during lunchtime that Grover told Percy some very vexing news.

"Dude," Grover began. Percy was playing with his mashed potatoes. "You'll never guess what Annabeth just told me." Percy's attention still wasn't fully seized. Grover had to utter another name to grasp Percy's alert: "Nico got another letter yesterday," he said.

Percy looked at Grover with wide eyes. The tall, half-Latin, half-African American boy wore an apologetic smile. He continued, "And apparently, the guy…girl, whatever wants to _meet_." Percy still didn't speak. Grover snorted. "They have a meeting place already," he said. "Though I'm not sure Nico's gonna show up."

Percy remained wordless, despite his wide-open mouth. Grover awaited his response, which just didn't come. He then said, "So do you wanna know where it is or what?" Percy bobbed his head up and down. Grover sighed before speaking once more. "Basketball court," he said. "Seems like a really cliché meeting place, doesn't it?"

The dumbfounded boy decided then and there that he would be around when this happens. He didn't care if Nico saw him. This wasn't something he was going to miss.

"What time?" Percy managed, finally.

"He talks," Travis said, from the background.

"Right after school – four o'clock," Grover said. He received a nod from Percy, who felt an overwhelming sense of agitation. Were the things he thought would happen going to happen? What did Nico plan to do if he met with the persons? These were all questions that Percy would only get answers to in a few hours time.

* * *

><p>It was really hard to wait. His ballpoint pen went tap, tap, tapping for about four hours on his desk. His eyes kept sneaking looks at his watch. He watched as 2:00 turned into 2:02. He followed the hour hand as it moved from 3 to the inevitable 4. He listened to his own footsteps as he made his way for the court. The few feet he had to walk seemed like ten miles. He panted even though he didn't walk briskly. He didn't see anyone else around him, even though there were <em>tons<em>.

There was no one by the big doors of their basketball court. It was past all the lockers and across from the woodworks shop. It took a while for Percy to realize that he had made a mistake: He should've waited until Nico got there. _Shit_, he thought. _I have to hide_.

Percy fidgeted, looking for some place to conceal himself. He was panicking. He stood in one spot, not knowing where exactly to go.

"Knew you'd be here," he heard someone say.

He turned around. Annabeth walked toward him, wearing an apologetic look.

"He's in there already," she added. Percy was voiceless yet again. Annabeth could only sigh. "He wanted to go here," she said. "He wanted to end things."

"Nico loves ending things, doesn't he?" Percy spoke with pain and sarcasm all at once.

Annabeth sighed once more. "That was a shit thing, what he did to you," she said. "He's being stupid."

"Why did he do it?" Percy asked. At that moment, he wanted to punch something. He wanted to hurt someone. He wanted to hurt _himself_. The emotion that enveloped him led him to clench his fists.

"He's scared, Percy," Annabeth said. "He always has."

Percy fell silent again. Annabeth shifted her head to the door. "Do you wanna see what's happening in there?" she said.

He did, but he said nothing. Annabeth approached the door and peered through the glass panel.

"Nico's just standing there," she said. Percy then decided to take a look himself.

"The guy said he'd go through the fire exit," Annabeth said.

"Guy? It's a _guy_?"

"Yeah," Annabeth confirmed. "Nico's such a guy magnet. I'm getting a little jealous."

Percy snickered upon hearing Annabeth's attempt at a joke. He hadn't had the will to laugh in more than a week. He could only be a mild version of happy, a tamed version of depressed, and an unequivocal version of empty. He stared back at the glass panel and watched as Nico stood far off by the yellow bleachers. The Italian boy looked tense. Percy just wanted to hurry and grapple the boy. He wanted to run and say, "you don't need to do this." However, all he could do now was _watch_. He looked at the door with "Fire Exit" labeled in red, and waited to see if anyone would come through.

A good ten minutes passed by with nothing happening. What halted the quietude of the scene was the sudden emergence of a boy coming through the fire exit.

"Oh my God," Annabeth said, completely befuddled.

"Who…who _is_ that? I… I think I've seen him before…" Percy excavated his memory bank. The guy looked _horribly_ familiar. His name was on the tip of Percy's tongue. Rachel came to his mind.

_ She had a friend_.

_A….friend_.

"It's Nakamura," was what Percy managed to say.

"I didn't see this coming," Annabeth said, deadpan.

Ethan Nakamura, the tall, gangly, Japanese boy stood in front of Nico. Percy could see he had a smile on his face. He was wearing a red t-shirt, a puffy black jacket, and dark blue pants. He totally didn't look like the type who'd be a _secret admirer_.

Percy tried to remember if there was ever any hint of him being the "culprit." He played poker with the guy. He was just _there_. He never asked about Nico. Percy never saw him do any staring. No stalker-like actions. Nada.

"They're talking," Annabeth said.

"I… I think we should look away," Percy worried. He turned away and set his back against the door.

"Don't be stupid," she responded. "It's _fine_. Nico knows I'm watching."

"He doesn't know_ I'm_ watching."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "This is better than TiVo," she said. "Look Percy, Nico's talking."

Percy gazed back at the panel. Ethan was nodding as Nico spoke. The pale Italian boy looked antsy and panicked. It was like he was giving one of the most ill prepared declamations in history. Ethan just listened. He didn't look perturbed. He looked like he was thinking, actually – although, it was more of a _planning_ look than a _thinking_ look, Percy analyzed.

"Oh my God," Annabeth exclaimed, as something unthinkable began to occur. "What is he trying to do?"

"He's…" Percy goggled at the sight. "_He's trying to kiss Nico._" Percy wanted to barge in and hit the guy hard on the face. _He's mine_, Percy thought.

The angry brunet was just about to bulldoze himself inside, but then he saw Nico quickly turn his head and place his hands on Ethan's shoulders. Nico pushed the other boy away. His eyebrow was arched and his face held a look of outrage.

"Did you even understand anything I just said?" Percy could've sworn that was what Nico said in retaliation to Ethan's advances.

Nakamura was persistent. He forced both his hands on Nico's cheeks and leaned in once more. The Italian boy, luck being on his side, was able to stop the lip lock.

Nico punched the guy hard on the face. He did just what Percy wanted to do, but couldn't.

_I wanna help him_.

"Ouch," Annabeth said. "That's gotta hurt."

"Y-yeah," Percy managed.

Nico shook his fist. "Fuck off," he mouthed. He turned towards the door and started walking towards its direction, leaving a bloody nosed admirer to growl in pain.

"Percy, I think you should…you should go," Annabeth urged.

Percy didn't hesitate to nod and do as he was told. He twirled and walked briskly away from the scene. _That was…interesting_, he thought.

The fact was, Percy really didn't know how to feel about the situation. He cared. He cared a great deal. That was definitely verifiable. He just didn't know what to do about his concern. He couldn't give Nico a hug like he wanted to. He couldn't just kiss the boy like he used to. What could he do? He wanted to do something _badly_, but no, there wasn't anything he _could_ do. Nico wasn't his. They're over.

Percy stopped his motion. He panted. He just really, really wanted to cry again.

* * *

><p>"I just want him back."<p>

Paul had grabbed a chair that he set in front of the couch, where Percy sat. Sally was readying dinner, and Percy was bawling out his feelings to his sympathetic stepdad.

"Why exactly did he break up with you, Percy?" Paul asked.

"Because…he said…he said we were _bound_ to fail. He said…he said he felt _trapped_. I…I actually didn't understand. We were _fine_ until…that night. We were _happy_."

"Are you sure, Percy? 'Cos it looks like _one_ of you wasn't." Percy couldn't deny the truth in this. He remembered their fun times together when they did nothing but talk, laugh, kiss, and kiss some more, but he also remembered how _distant_ Nico acted a lot of the time. He recalled all those times at school when Nico would fail to interact with him and all those times when they'd be together and something would seem _off_.

"Yeah," Percy said. "He…he was… _Gah_." Percy clapped his hands on his face as he exclaimed his frustration. "I just want him back so bad, Paul. I don't care about anything else."

"Well, do you think there's something you could do?" Paul said. "To get him back?"

Percy shook his head. "I don't think there's anything I _can_ do, Paul. I…I really don't."

"There must be _something_," Sally said, entering the living room. Percy shook his head again, with his hands still grasping his face.

"Since when did you get so negative, Perce?" Paul said, sounding a bit uplifting.

"Since my heart got broken," Percy said, being as straightforward as possible.

Sally and Paul sighed heavily. "Percy," Sally began. "I…I know it's a bad time, but… Okay, so this is a little bit sudden but…"

Paul continued for her. "We're going to be away this weekend," he said. "The university asked me to go to LA for a convention."

"And they asked me to come along," Sally added.

Percy put down his hands and eyed both of them. "It's fine," he said. "I'll be okay on my own."

"You sure?" Sally worried.

"Yeah," Percy said. "Totally."

Sally and Paul were hesitant to put confidence in Percy's words. Sally suggested that she stay with him. Paul suggested that they buy last minute tickets so Percy could go with them. However, Percy only shook his head and reassured them that he'd be okay by himself. "I could hang out with Grover or something," he said.

"Yes, yes. That'd be a good idea," Sally said.

With that, the three of them went off to eat dinner. Percy ate in silence. Sally and Paul did the same. Percy, who was never adept at enduring awkward muteness, finished as fast as he could. The clanging of the silverware and the gulping of the food became too irritating to hear.

Percy was more than glad to be back in his room. He sat by his study table and turned on his laptop. Homework was going to keep him busy tonight, he presumed. He had homework for Math and Health. Both subjects were quite annoying to have homework in, but Percy was fine with it since he needed to have something to keep him busy. He played some nice background music on his iTunes. He then kicked off his drudgery with his Math homework. He was taking Trigonometry this year. Having said that, his scientific calculator was used more than half of the time. He solved everything as slow as possible, so as not to leave him any free time.

Though, it wouldn't be _too_ catastrophic if someone were to call him, he thought. Percy sneaked a look at his phone, as if predicting the next thing it would do.

_Ring, ring_.

Someone was definitely calling. Percy grabbed his phone and checked to see who it was.

_Unknown number?_

Percy's face registered puzzlement. He was reluctant to answer it immediately, but after a few more rings, he put the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" he said. Percy heard a deep breath from the other end. "Hello?" he said again.

Silence. "Who is this?" Percy pushed. "Look, if you don't speak up, I'm hanging up." After Percy said that, he heard a cough and an _ahem_.

"S-s-s-sorry," someone said. "Wrong n-number." The voice was deep and cartoonish. It was a fake voice, indisputably. Someone didn't want to get uncovered. "Sorry," the voice said again. Percy heard him clear his throat.

The mysterious caller hung up. Percy stared at his phone in befuddlement. _Weird_, he thought. He copied the number and saved it under the name "weird person." He felt the need to save it. Something told him this wasn't the last time he'd get a call like that. Who it could have been, though, was definitely beyond him.

* * *

><p>The following day, Percy received an interesting piece of news. Well, to <em>him<em> it was interesting, and quite…nerve-racking? It had something to do with school. To be more specific, it was an announcement that was made by Mr. Brunner, their European History teacher.

Percy sat in the middle row, with Grover in front of him and the twins sandwiching him. Annabeth and Nico sat in the front row. Percy could clearly see Nico's profile from where he sat. He stared. The side of Nico's face was just _magnificent_, in Percy's opinion. The freckles on his neck were very noticeable in the day's lighting. His cheekbones were beautifully defined, and his paleness made him stand out from the rest of the class. Percy was not embarrassed at all to think about all this. The fact that his attraction to Nico was present on many different levels was very much established, after all.

"Class," Mr. Brunner began. He was the type of man who exuded an air of sophistication. He was also the type that demanded respect without actually asking for it. "I have some exciting news for all of you."

Everyone stared at him. Everyone except Percy, that is. His sea green eyes were still fixed on Nico. He felt like a creeper. He felt no better than Ethan, who Percy just started to notice. The Japanese boy was sitting way at the back. Rachel sat beside him. Percy had yet to ask her for an explanation for the whole Ethan situation.

"Next week – on Saturday," their teacher continued. "We'll be going on a winter excursion." Murmurs were heard from the class. Percy's head turned to Mr. Brunner. "To commemorate our discussion on the renaissance – on discovery – I'd like us to explore the wilderness, for the sake of widening our horizons."

"Wilderness?" Annabeth interjected. "We're going camping?"

"Exactly!" Mr. Brunner exclaimed. "A campout in the cold woods of Northwest Connecticut. What could be better?" Their teacher, decidedly, was very weird. "I'll be handing out the parent's approval forms tomorrow!" Mr. Brunner sounded very excited for all this.

"Are we the only class going?" Travis broke in.

"Yeah, are we?" Connor added.

"You are the _first_ class that's going," Mr. Brunner said. "And consider yourselves lucky. The snow isn't as severe this time of the month."

Percy heard a mix of excitement and dread from his classmates. He, at first, was very much thrilled with the idea. However, when he gazed back at Nico, he realized that it was going to be _hella_ awkward.

"I'll be giving a full list of things to bring tomorrow as well," Mr. Brunner affixed.

Grover turned to Percy. "Man," he said. "This is gonna be _wicked_."

"Y-yeah," Percy managed. "Sure." Percy noticed that Nico was quiet the whole time. Annabeth was talking to him, but he appeared to be deep in thought.

Nico di Angelo continued to stump Percy in every way possible. He slumped back on his chair and let out a deep sigh. He watched Nico turned to Annabeth. The Italian boy began to speak. Percy watched as the boy's mouth moved. He could've sworn Nico mouthed "Percy," but he rejected the notion after some contemplation.

_I'll never get over this_, Percy reckoned. He needed a distraction. This weekend, he'd be alone, and he wasn't sure he could take it. "Grover," he said, suddenly. "Can I come over to your house this Saturday?"

* * *

><p>Seriously, if Percy were asked to describe how Thursday and Friday went, he'd probably just say "meh." Everything was just "meh" to him right now. The reason behind that was definitely clear to himself and to everyone he knew. However, Saturday came and Percy at least had <em>something<em> to look forward to. He was going to hang out with friends. Sally and Paul, who had just left for LA, gave Percy the _okay_ for hanging out with the three. It's been a while since he'd hung out with Grover, Travis and Connor on a weekend, so he was happy that he'd get to have some good old-fashioned fun with them today.

Before everything, though, Percy was heavily disconcerted by something he discovered that morning. He had apparently received a call from _Weird Person_. He wasn't able to answer it because he was asleep when it happened. He just kept this a secret, though, not wanting to create a fuss.

Grover's apartment was a little far from Percy's, but not _too _far. It was a rather small place. His parents were at work when Percy got there that afternoon, so they pretty much had the place to themselves. That didn't really mean much since they'd probably just be lounging around the living room the whole time.

Travis and Connor arrived a little later than Percy. They brought beer with them, although not enough to get them all drunk. They all talked for a while before doing anything else. No one asked about Percy's currently shitty love life, thankfully. However, Percy asked Grover if things were going well with Juniper. Grover assured Percy that "it really was." Percy then asked the Stoll brothers if they were getting any close to achieving an actual love life. Their reply, however, was a quick steer away from the topic. Travis yelled out, "Who wants to play a game of Band Hero?" Connor pulled Grover's Band Hero set from the corner of the room without asking permission. "I'm singing," he said.

Percy and Grover cracked up. "Oh," Travis said. "But we only have three instruments."

"S'okay," Percy said. "I'll watch you guys. Maybe I'll have a turn later." With that, the twins set up the play station on Grover's LCD TV.

The first song they tried out was The Rolling Stones' Honky Tonk Women. Connor _sucked_ at singing, but actual singing prowess didn't really matter in Band Hero. He kept going out of tune whenever he sang the "she's a honky tonk woman" part. Travis was pretty good with the drums. Grover was an expert fake guitar strummer.

Travis and Connor switched for the next song. Percy picked the song for them. He ended choosing Sugar We're Going Down by Fall Out Boy. "We're going _down, down_ in an earlier round," Travis sang. "And sugar we're going down swinging. I'll be your number one in a bullet. A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it." He was a much better than Connor, for some odd reason. Their abilities usually matched up.

Percy got a chance to play for their next song. He sang to Walking on Sunshine – one of his favorite songs, truth be told. Grover took a break from the guitar and let Travis handle it. Travis wanted to use the drums again, but Connor said he was too "in the zone" to just give it away. Percy was an awful singer, even worse than Connor, but caring about that wasn't on anybody's agenda at the moment. They were all just looking for a good time.

Fifteen songs and a pizza delivery interruption later, they decided to play another game – FIFA Soccer 12, to be exact. They howled and cursed like lunatics the whole time. They decided to team up, actually. Percy and Grover vs Travis and Connor. Friendly competition always made things more enjoyable, they thought. In the end, they were even in wins and losses. Travis and Connor wanted to play some more, but Percy and Grover were _pooped_.

It was seven in the evening, when Percy checked his watch. "We've been playing for way too long guys," he said, letting out a laugh. He felt like he had gotten the distraction he so needed. He sort of forgot all about his post-break-up melancholy. The fact that his friends didn't mention it was a clear sign that they knew Percy wanted to get over it.

"Hey," Travis said, as they all sat back against Grover's couch while drinking the few beer they had left. "I heard Beckendorf's having a party tonight."

"Really?" Grover said. "I didn't know that."

"Well, now you do," Connor said. "So _let's go_."

Grover looked at Percy and gave him a concerned look that said "you in the mood for that?" Percy hesitated to give a response at first, but after he put some not-so-deep thought to it, he ended up saying, "Fuck it. Why not?"

"Woohoo!" Travis exclaimed, raising celebratory arms.

"So…we go now?" Grover asked.

"_Yiz_," Connor assented.

"Umm," Percy started. "You mind if we stop by my place first?" The other three looked at him quizzically. Percy chuckled. "I just want to change to something less…fucked," he said.

"Whatever," Travis said. "Sure."

"Yeah. We'll just take a cab to your place then walk the rest of the way," Connor added.

Grover ended their conversation with the much awaited, "Then let's get going!"

And get going they did. Getting a cab was easy. Grover's street was packed with them. Percy quickly sat in front and told the cab driver the address. Travis and Connor were noisy the whole time. They talked about random subjects ranging from recent pranks they've pulled, recent shows they've watched, and recent tests they've kinda-sorta-flunked. At one point, they just kept chanting "_Party, party_" in deep, husky voices over and over.

When they arrived at Percy's apartment building, the Stolls rushed out of the cab and immediately opened Percy's door to pull him out. Grover was left to pay the fare. Percy was laughing the whole time.

Travis and Connor, though very much hyperactive, decided to stay down as Percy headed upstairs to change. Grover stayed down as well. Upon hearing their resolve, Percy walked to the elevator shaft. _This night's gonna be crazy_, he thought to himself.

He waited a good five minutes before the elevator made its usual _ting_ sound. As it opened, Percy was met by the sleepy figure of the building's lone janitor. "Hey Mr. Ugliano," Percy said. The man wasn't the most likeable person on Earth, but Percy just tolerated him because he kept the pests away.

"_You_," the lazy man said, as he drew himself out of the elevator along with his large mop. "Someone was looking for you. He was ringing your _fucking_ doorbell like an idiot."

Percy creased his eyebrows. He wasn't able to enter the elevator anymore. "Who was it?" he asked.

"I dunno. Some _kid_. Your age maybe. Think I've seen 'im 'fore. Not sure." The man walked past Percy without giving a clear explanation.

"Hey!" Percy exclaimed. "What'd he look like?"

Mr. Ugliano didn't face Percy when he spoke again. "Dunno. Was too sleepy to pay attention."

_Useless_. He officially wanted to punch the guy. He didn't, though. He just pushed the button again and waited.

The elevator went _ting_ and opened after half a minute of waiting. Percy entered feeling befuddled and unnerved. Who could it have been? _Maybe it's that weird guy who's been calling me_, he thought. Then, he pondered on the possibility that it was someone he knew. When he arrived on his floor, he still wasn't able to make a fixed hypothesis. Deep in his gut, however, he felt that he had missed something really, really important.

* * *

><p>He decided not to tell his three friends about the mysterious visitor. He didn't want to make a big fuss about it. Fun was all he wanted to have tonight. Puzzlement? Count that out, please. Trying to foster the fun, Percy wore a sky blue shirt with cute fish printed on it (yes, he thought fish were fun). He also slipped on a bright red jacket to go with his shirt.<p>

The three other boys looked impatient when Percy got back down. The twins immediately turned to start their mini journey towards Beckendorf's building, which was a few blocks away. They resumed their "party, party" chanting. It got a little annoying, actually. Percy felt himself getting a little tense during their walk. His thoughts were back in a muddle.

Percy remembered the last time he was at Beckendorf's. It didn't end well, to put it simply. He recalled how knotted his feelings were back then. He was unsure about a lot of things. Now, he was sure about most of his feelings, but because of recent events, he was unsure what do about them. He wished he could just go back to the time in between. The time when he was sure about what mattered and what didn't. The time when he knew exactly what to do, and he had the person who made sure he knew what to do. It was heartbreaking how things could change so much in such a short period of time.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen," was what Travis and Connor said as the four of them entered Beckendorf's apartment. No one took notice of them, though. People were busy drinking, talking and dancing to loud music. The place looked pretty much the same from the last time, except that there were new ornaments here and there. There was also a new photo hanged on the wall – one of a Hispanic woman and her son. Percy walked over to one of the kitchen counters and settled himself on a spot. He noticed how perfect the kitchen still looked despite the house being a venue for untamed parties. However, he only spent about a minute to look at his surroundings, because his eyes darted to a rather troubling scene.

_Nico_. He was red, probably from alcohol. That wasn't all, though. He was _dancing_. He jumped up and down, feeling a rhythm of the music. A bunch of their classmates were around him grinding along to beat. Nico looked like he was having _fun_. Percy couldn't help but feel a bit offended. Nico never acted like that with Percy. _Never_.

"Hey," Percy heard. He turned to his left. His three friends were nowhere to be seen, but Annabeth was right there, giving him a bright smile. "Didn't know you'd be here," she said.

Percy was silent. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. The blonde just sighed. "I got Nico a little drunk," she continued. "Thought it'd get him to loosen up."

"So it seems," Percy managed. He gazed back at Nico. "First time I saw him like this."

Annabeth chuckled. "He gets like this when he's…intoxicated," she said. "You never got him drunk when you were together? I thought you would've."

"No, I never got him drunk," he answered. When Annabeth said, "When you were together," Percy's stomach got a little weak. He felt weird to hear _were_ even after two whole weeks apart. He realized then and there that his day of fun was an outright waste. What he really needed was that boy who was seemingly under a drunken hysteria.

"Maybe you could talk to him tonight," Annabeth said. Percy looked at her, wearing a cynical expression. "I don't think that'd be a good idea, Annabeth," he said.

"Why not?" Annabeth questioned. Percy looked at Nico again, and opened his mouth, preparing a reply. "Well, first of all: he's drunk. And second of all, I don't think he'll ever be comfortable talking with me ever again." It hurt to say all of that, but Percy believed it to be true. The night they broke up, Nico left looking angry. Surely that meant the prospect talking again wouldn't viable for a while, Percy assumed.

"How'd you even get him to go here?" Percy asked.

"It wasn't easy, trust me," she said. "A lot of dragging was involved, but I managed." Percy feigned a chuckle.

"I'm really sorry about everything, Percy," she continued. "First, _I_ broke up with you. Then, Nico broke up with you. Me and him… We're incredibly tactless people. I'm sorry."

Percy sighed. "No need to be sorry, 'beth." His caring mindset still didn't falter, despite his despondent state. "What's done is done. I just have to get…get…" Percy couldn't say _get over him_. Annabeth appeared to understand that.

She switched the topic. "So are you going to Mr. Brunner's excursion?" she asked.

Percy nodded. "Yup," he said. "I don't wanna do any special homework, you know, so I might as well go."

Annabeth smiled. "It'll be fun," she said. "And…awkward."

"Yeah, awkward," Percy said. "But awkward is something I love." He turned his head.

_Huh?_

Nico wasn't there anymore. "Where'd he go?" Percy said. "He was…he was just there a second ago."

Annabeth looked around. "Oh god," she said. "Where'd that drunk boy go off to?"

A huge amount of worry soared through Percy. It was a bit leaning towards overreaction, but that was completely normal since it was Nico he was dealing with. He walked off to the still dancing group of people – the one Nico formerly belonged to. He pushed through a number of people and heard a lot of _fuck you_ declarations along the way.

"Hey, hey," Percy said, grabbing one dancing guy by the arm. "Where's Nico?"

The guy looked at Percy like he was tripping or something. Percy let him go, and asked another guy about Nico. "Oh," the other said. "_Nico?_" He was obviously drunk. "Got pulled out by…" His speech was cut by his drunken condition. He held his stomach and ran towards a vase. Percy observed as the guy did that disgusting thing that drunken people do. He regretted looking as soon as he saw it happen.

"God," Percy said. He managed to ask a girl who still looked sane regarding Nico's whereabouts. "Where's Nico?" he said.

"Nico?" she replied. "He got pulled out by that Japanese boy."

Percy's eyes widened. "J-Japanese boy? Ethan? Ethan Nakamura?"

"Yeah, that's the one," the girl said, calmly. "Ethan."

"Th-thanks," was all Percy could say, as he took a step back and turned towards the exit.

"_Move_," he exclaimed to everyone who got in his way. A drunk Nico and a crazy admirer? That was a recipe for _disaster_. Percy needed to get out of this raving mad alcohol infestation and make sure Nico was okay.

Percy panted heavily once he reached the door. He made his way out to the hall. He looked around, but he saw nothing but the olive green walls, and a couple having a not-so-secret make out session. Percy decided to direct himself to the right side of the hallway first.

It was the right decision, apparently. He heard a loud "_Fuck_" coming from that side. He continued briskly towards where he thought the howl came from.

Upon reaching the spot where the hall swerved, he saw the people he was seeking after.

Ethan was holding his nose. It was a very familiar scenario. Percy had a clear idea of what transpired. Nico was leaning against the wall, with his eyes shut, his breathing heavy, and his fists clenched.

"Go away," Percy told Ethan. "Get out of here."

Ethan scrutinized Percy with vindictive eyes. However, instead of protesting to Percy's edict, he just walked past the brunet without a word. He was extremely peculiar, definitely.

Percy noticed Nico slowly sinking to the floor. "Hey," Percy said, rushing towards the other boy. "You okay?" Nico didn't answer. His eyes were shut. He looked like he was chewing something despite there being nothing in his mouth.

"Fuck off Ethan," Nico finally said.

"No, I'm not Ethan," Percy said, kneeling down in front of him and trying to smile.

Nico opened his eyes and squinted. "Oh, _Percy_." Nico grinned. "Percy, Percy, Percy. It's _you_." He circled his arms around Percy's neck. "Hello, you," he continued. He was obviously drunk. "You're looking good tonight. I like your fish shirt." The fact that Nico was acting like this made Percy's heart sink and flutter all at the same time. He knew that it was just a drunken stupor, but he couldn't help feeling _hurt_.

"_Purrrrrseeee,_" Nico murmured. He licked his lip and flashed another grin. "Perseus," he said, playfully. "Perseus _Jecksan_. Pershus Jackstone." Nico started laughing. Then, he licked his lip again. "_Percy_," he said, before leaning in and pressing their lips together.

Nico kissed Percy _wildly_. His lips moved as if they were _asking_ to get attacked and get severely swollen. He pushed his tongue inside Percy's mouth as if its crevices were a scoop of ice cream that needed to be consumed _immediately_. Nico tasted like liquor, but somehow it wasn't _all_ bad. Percy kissed back, but not as hard as Nico did. Percy felt guilty, of course. He felt like he was taking advantage of the situation.

Nico stopped after about two minutes of wreaking havoc on Percy's lips and Percy's heart. He took his arms off of Percy's neck. "Wait," he said, placing an index finger on Percy's left eye. It was probably meant to go on the taller boy's mouth. "I'm not supposed to do that anymore," he continued. His eyes were narrowed, and his mouth was wide open even after speech.

"Y-yeah," Percy managed. "You're not."

"_Yeah_," Nico said, rather loudly. "No one's allowed to kiss me anymore. _No ooooone._" The Italian boy started laughing again. "No one, Percy! No one, no one, _no one_." Nico said the last _no one_ in an oddly familiar deep voice. His index finger now poked Percy's nose.

Nico quickly switched from being a laughing maniac to being a drowsy little boy. "I think I'm _drunk_," he said. "I think I am. I'm _drunk_. Drunk as a drunk man on a drunk day." Percy mustered up a slight laugh.

"Can you take me home, Mr. Stranger?" he said. Apparently, drunken Nico was also amnesia-prone Nico. "Pwease?" Nico continued.

Percy got on his feet and tried to get Nico to stand up. It was feeble, however. Nico stumbled every time he tried to stand. Percy's resolution was to have Nico ride his back. His immense desire to help Nico gathered enough adrenaline within him for the carrying to be without struggle.

His plan was to simply to get Nico home – nothing more. He wouldn't try anything crazy. He would just drop him off. Nico wouldn't remember anything that happened tonight, most likely, and that was for the best. Percy just carefully hauled Nico with him towards the elevator.

"Percy?" Nico's voice was soft and worn out. His head was nestled on Percy's right shoulder and his legs were curled in Percy's arms.

"Yeah, Nico?" Percy said, warmly.

"Thank you."

Percy's head fell. Hearing Nico's temperate voice was too much. His heart was completely and unequivocally crushed.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I'm pretty excited to get the next chapter started, actually. I think some of you might have inklings as to what may happen (though I'm not giving any assurances XD). <strong>**The end is neeeear! **

**(Reviews are much appreciated)**

**~ LC**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, so this is the second-to-the-last chapter, and by far one of the most eventful ones. I really hope I was able to ease everything in, 'cos sometimes, I can't help being all over the place.**

**I hope you guys like this chapter. I wanna give you all a giant hug, you know. I think it's only right to thank EVERYONE who's put up with me the past two months. With this being my first ever fic, I can't even _begin_ to describe how much of a confidence boost all the appreciation is. So there, I thank you and I love you all.**

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><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairing: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO)

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a little OOC. Sorry for random grammatical errors that are sure to appear!

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><p><strong>Skinny Love<strong>

**Chapter 12**

The ride to the Sunny Valley Preserve was characterized by lecture giving via Mr. Brunner, jingle singing via everyone and quiet sulking via Percy Jackson. He looked out the window witnessing their gradual arrival to the woods while he sat beside Grover in the small rented bus. They left for the destination at five in the morning – a little too early, but Mr. Brunner wanted to make the most out of their day in the "wilderness." Percy packed everything he needed: three scarves, an extra jacket, a sleeping bag, a flashlight, a few biscuits, an apple and a Swiss army knife (just in case). Grover was the one who brought the tent for them.

Nico sat with Annabeth a little far off from Percy. This was good, Percy thought, because he wouldn't be tortured with the sight of the other boy. Percy still wanted him back. The feelings he had a week ago and the week before that were practically the same. However, Percy knew that unless Nico got drunk again or they got into some freak circumstance, they would never again share a conversation.

Although, judging from recent experience, a conversation with drunk Nico would probably just last a short time.

A week ago, heavily intoxicated Nico di Angelo dozed off on Percy's back. The brunet supposed it was much better than having him throw up all over the place. The elevator ride was trouble-free. Getting them a cab, on the other hand, was pretty arduous since Percy's limbs were a little too preoccupied. Because of this, he opted to set Nico down on the porch while he motioned for a cab.

It took ten whole minutes for a cab to finally notice Percy. He then rushed to Nico and cradled the boy in his arms. He carefully heaved Nico into the cab, making the boy stay in a sitting position. Percy heard him snore like a hog. _Hilarious_, Percy mused. At a time like this when there was no reason to laugh, Percy found himself cracking up to Nico's post-alcohol idiosyncrasies. He felt even more good spirited when, upon the ride's commencement, Nico's head fell on his shoulder.

Percy savored his closeness with Nico. He burrowed his nose in Nico's hair, not caring that the smell wasn't fresh and sweet like usual. He didn't go beyond that, though.

"Stop over there," Percy said, pointing to the apartment building. The cabby pulled over at the sidewalk, and Percy took out twenty to pay for the ride. He struggled taking Nico out of the car, but Percy managed. He propped the other boy up in his arms in the way a man would carry his bride. Slowly, he walked towards the door. The uniformed doorman was there, looking attentive and weary upon seeing Percy carrying the unconscious di Angelo.

"H-hey," Percy managed. "Could you call his dad or his sister please? Nico's a little…drunk."

The doorman nodded. "Right on it," he said, running inside to the floor's wall phone. Percy pushed himself inside. He stayed by the door while the doorman talked to someone on the phone. Percy watched the man nod and say "okay" a few times before he hung up and rushed back to Percy.

"Ms. Bianca says you could go right up," he said.

"W-what? I… Can't anyone –"

"She insisted, sir," the doorman added.

Percy let out a puff of air. He wasn't keen on entering the di Angelo apartment. He felt it was a high violation. However, the circumstances apparently dictated that he go against his feelings. "Fine," Percy said. He started walking through the lobby, and on to the elevators.

Luckily, he didn't need to press the elevator button since one conveniently opened upon his arrival. What proved to be a bit of a challenge was pressing the button for the floor.

When he arrived at the designated level, he instantly laid eyes on the waiting figure of Bianca di Angelo. She had her arms crossed and her left eyebrow raised while she stood by the elevator waiting for Percy and Nico.

"Annabeth did this, I presume?" she stated, immediately after Percy exited the lift.

"H-how did you –"

"She's the only one who could get Nico to drink," she said, rather dryly. "C'mon," she continued. "Your arms must be killing you." They were, actually, but Percy didn't really mind.

Bianca turned to walk towards the apartment. "How'd you end up bringing him home, anyway?" she asked. "Thought you two were… you know – severed, aborted, _broken up_."

The words felt like ten anvils falling on Percy's head. "I…I was at the party," he said. "I was…I was the only one who…who could help." He half-lied. Mentioning Ethan Nakamura wasn't very promising at the moment. Bianca thankfully left the exchange at that. She switched to a related topic, though, as they arrived at the apartment.

"So," she began, opening the door and switching on the lights. "How've you been doing?"

Surprise registered on Percy's features. "Are you really asking me that?" he said.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I'm just trying to be nice," she said. "I know my brother's not always…_mindful_ of people's…feelings and shit." She gestured for Percy to drop Nico on the couch. He carefully obliged. "Slowly, okay? I don't want to wake up my parents." Percy nodded.

"He's such a stupid little boy," she sighed. Percy chuckled, returning Bianca's gaze. She continued, "I hate to admit, you know, but it's obvious that you love him."

Percy felt himself blush. "W-what makes you s-say that?" he stammered.

Bianca shrugged. "It's just _obvious_," she said.

Percy bit the inside of his lip. He contemplated on what Bianca said. Afterwards, he thought about asking her about the break-up. How was Nico taking it? Why _exactly_ made him want to split all of a sudden? Was he really just scared? All the questions were complicated. In the end, he decided not to voice them out.

Percy heard a soft moan. Then, he heard a soft voice. "P-Percy?" It was sleepy and hoarse voice. "_Percy_," he heard again. Percy turned to the formerly unconscious Nico, and handed him an attentive gaze. Nico still looked asleep, but he was mumbling something.

"I…I need…I need to t-tell you s-something," Nico groaned. Percy instantly knelt down and gave his full attention to the other boy. He heard a chuckle from behind him, obviously from Bianca.

"What is it, Nico?" Percy said.

"_Percy_," Nico began.

"I think I…" He yawned.

"I probably…" Percy wanted to shake the words out of him.

"I…" Nico dozed off once again.

Percy lowered his head. "Damn," he muttered. He willed himself to get on his feet. Bianca spoke, "What now?" He turned to her.

"I think I better go."

Percy ended it at that. The affair wasn't mentioned even _once_ during the days that followed.

Sunday was spent alone in bed. He thought about all the weird things that had been happening lately. Ethan Nakamura, the weird phone call, the mysterious visitor, and Nico's hanging statement. He figured Nico would be able to handle the Ethan situation himself. However, he also thought about Rachel and how she _must've_ known something about all this. Regarding the phone calls, he didn't really have a guess. The same went for the mysterious visitor. Nico's drunken discourse was what kept him thinking.

The weekdays left Percy sad and unnerved. In short, it was pretty normal. His friends kept him preoccupied during free time. Annabeth waved at Percy from time to time. Nico still went about with his quiet disregard of Percy's existence. This kept the brunet away from him. Percy felt frightened by what might happen if he just approached him and ask what he "needed to tell him," as Nico's sleepy self had put it. Percy was left to assume it was unimportant. He was left to compel himself to resign to the idea that he and Nico were just never going to get back together. He felt like such a wimp. He wanted to fight for them, but Nico made it clear that disputing the circumstances would be an aimless undertaking.

Everything inevitably led to the banal voyage towards Sunny Valley Preserve in Northwest Connecticut. The snow wasn't heavy, Percy observed. The trees were covered in them, but he saw the roads only thinly laden with snow for the most part. The air was definitely chilly. The sun created a warm glint on the earth's surface. They passed by houses, schools and what not. They even stopped by a convenience store for those who were short on supplies. The whole time, Percy just wanted the night to arrive so he could curl up in his tent.

Work started immediately upon arrival to the destination. Mr. Brunner had a talk with the driver about the pick up arrangements for tomorrow and then had all of them settled in a rather large clearing. A kind park ranger led them there, making the journey a little easier.

The students were all made to set up their tents first. Grover asked Percy to help him set up their tolerably sized red tent. They set their things inside, afterwards. Travis and Connor were preparing their tent as well. All four of them had quite an easy time with the task.

In another neck of the woods, Percy saw Nico struggling to set up his tent, which he was apparently going to share with Annabeth. Percy couldn't help but smile a little. _I love this guy_, he mused. Nico looked tense and panicked as he fumbled with the tent's parts. He got snow all over his clothes and dirt smeared on his face while he got into a tizzy with the tent. He thought he had it right once, but then the whole thing folded up. Annabeth was no help. Forest survival was decidedly not something she was an ace at.

Finally, Mr. Brunner gave the pair a hand with the set up. "_This_, little ones, is how you do it," he said, presenting an effortless approach to putting up a tent. Nico flushed at his inadequacy. Annabeth laughed things off.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare evidently decided that she'd be spending the day as a lone artist. She brought a large sketchpad and a kit full of her materials, which she immediately set down inside her gray tent. She wasn't having anyone stay with her. Her closest friends – the art aficionados, as they'd like to be called – were mostly together, but Rachel opted otherwise. Ethan, one of Rachel's friends, caught Percy's scrutiny. The bruised-nose boy was watching Nico. His eyes were strange and unnerving. Percy wanted to punch the guy, but then Grover interrupted his train of thought.

"Percy," he said. "Mr. Brunner's calling us."

By us, Grover meant the whole class. Everyone gathered around the center of the clearing and listened as their teacher gave them instructions for their first official activity.

"We're going on a trek across the forest," Mr. Brunner said. "This, dear children, shall be our first step towards _discovery_. Mr. Daedalus and Ms. Circe –" They were two teachers who came along on the trip. "Shall be guarding our tents, while we are _off_."

The class murmured. Percy kept quiet and darted his eyes to Nico to see what his reaction would be. The pale boy just had his arms crossed and his face deadpanned. He then heard Mr. Brunner announce: "Now, let us begin!"

They formed a line – a crooked line – to foster some sort of organization for their trek. Percy and Grover walked together, with the Stolls right behind them.

The class walked through snowy tree trunks, depleted shrubs, and a lot of twigs and rocks. Percy clutched to his own thick jacket, protecting himself from the cold. Snow from the tree branches kept falling on his head. It was less than a comfort to have your head daubed in freezing bits of ice. He pushed them off every time, only to find himself getting flogged in the head by another slab. He also felt his feet go under siege due to the rocks they accidently thrashed against and the tiring distance they had to travel.

Nonetheless, the beauty of the trail was indisputable. Tall trees extended upwards and appeared to join the heavens in their sheer whiteness. From a distance, they heard the howling of a moose, and the flittering of a bird's wings. Black birds would perch themselves on the branches, utter no form of reverberation and eye all of them mysteriously. A gray squirrel would go by with a chestnut, doing cute the cute things the squirrels do – nibble, nibble, run, scramble. The lighting was initially dim, but for some reason, as they moved forward, a gleam started to appear – one that was luminous yet gentle. Mr. Brunner described everything as "nature at its best." Percy agreed to that, despite his slight discomforts. Pale yet dark. Bright yet mysterious. They were qualities Percy held deep affection for.

Nico and Annabeth walked a few feet from Percy's forefront. Annabeth's blonde curls flowed from her head like a golden river. The cool breeze would cast the strands tenderly to the gale's direction. She was beautiful, undeniably so, but she failed to grasp Percy's fancy. _His_ head turned covertly to the side and Percy marveled and raved. Black hair that haunted, brown eyes that shone, willowy arms that coursed downwards with grace and easiness. Percy ached. _Stop torturing yourself_, he thought. _Stop it._

They walked on, and Percy distracted himself with his surroundings. "How long is this gonna take?" someone said. Mr. Brunner answered right away. "We're almost to the destination!"

The gentle light steadily spread out to the horizon. A few feet of walking and they arrived at a spot where the herd of trees began to impede. They all stepped out to what used to be a waterside.

"_Woah_," was what almost everyone said, staring at the scene that radiated before them.

It was a frozen lake – an immense one. Percy couldn't believe what he was seeing. Ice swept extensively from east to west. It glimmered like a celestial body. The sky was empty except for the sun casting its faint light upon the surface. A bird flew by, making a sweet chirping sound. A rodent-like figure ran through the frost, nonchalantly and silently. Wintry greenery surrounded the lake. A snowy mountain could be seen from afar, inflicting a grandeur view on their eyes.

Percy grinned from ear to ear. Living in New York gave a slightly cynical view on nature, but seeing the gorgeous expanse changed _everything_. It really did. Everyone fell silent for a moment. Percy closed his eyes and breathed in. The air smelled fresh. It was like ambrosia – godly and rejuvenating. He heard a couple of people laughing and pairs of feet running. _"Woohoo_," they exclaimed. It was definitely Travis and Connor. Percy opened his eyes. The two, he saw, were on the frozen lake. They jumped and they danced, fostering the energetic mood that everyone soon possessed.

"Hey Mr. Niceboy," someone said, as Percy remained still, reveling with his thoughts. He turned his head to see Rachel standing by him. She had a navy blue beanie on her head that went nicely with her red hair. Her sketchpad was thrust in her armpit. Her face held a happy, untroubled expression.

"Hey Rachel," Percy said, looking back to the lake.

"So," she said. "Haven't talked to _you_ in a while."

"Really?" he replied. "I hadn't noticed." That was lie, but he was in too good a mood to say _you have a lot of explaining to do, Rachel Elizabeth Dare._

She sighed deeply. "This is a beautiful place, isn't it?" she said. "It's an artist's heaven." Percy didn't respond. He continued to observe the site. A lot of his classmates teemed towards the lake. Some chose to sit and take in the beauty.

"I'm sorry about Nico," she said. "He's being a shit."

Percy moved his head. "D-don't," he said. "Don't call him that. He's… He's wonderful."

Rachel fell silent. Percy continued, "I'm actually starting to think that…that the thing he said about us breaking up being _for the best_ was true. I mean, I don't think he was happy, and I _want_ him to be happy. I really do." He felt a tear escape his eye.

"Fuck." More tears started to fall. Percy wiped his cheeks with his right arm. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he carried on. He felt Rachel's hand grab on to his. She tangled their fingers together and gave him a tight squeeze. Percy looked at her and mustered a tiny smile, which she warmly returned.

Percy sniffled. "God," he said. "I'm a mess."

"You want me to talk to him?" she asked, thoughtfully.

"No," Percy replied. "No need to do that. Like I said, 'twas for the best." The redhead sighed and gave his hand another squeeze.

"Umm," she started to say. "About…about Ethan –"

"Rachel," Percy cut in. "Just…just keep the guy away, okay? You can do that right?"

Rachel nodded. "Yeah," she said, confidently. "I can and I will. Least I can do."

Their conversation ended right there. Rachel let go of Percy, but she stayed with him to watch everything and everyone brim with energy and light. She decided to sit down and sketch. Percy remembered something from seeing her draw. '_She found my sketchpad.' _He sat down. He watched Rachel as she copied the scenery with ease, and at the same time, he couldn't help but wonder whether Nico had the same natural talent.

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><p>Mr. Brunner taught them how to start a fire. He gave them tips on surviving in extremely cold weather. "You're all going to need this someday," he remarked. He went on to giving pointers on what and what not to eat in forests. Christopher Columbus and a bunch of other European explorers were able to slip into his lectures, which were done during the supplemental tour and on the way back to the campgrounds.<p>

It was two in the afternoon, and they were to eat their packed lunches. Everything was predictably cold. Percy didn't care to bring any _real_ lunch. He only brought biscuits and an apple with him. He figured he'd just fill himself up later during dinner, since Mr. Brunner was planning to cook something for their campfire. For now, he surrendered himself into his tent. He was alone since Grover was busying himself talking to people outside.

Percy finished only half of the biscuits and half of the apple. He lay himself down above his sleeping bag. He stared upward, just examining the tent's interior. He got tired, eventually. His eyes slowly dropped. He got up way too early a while ago, so the prospect of sleep was _great_.

"Hey! Percy!" As he was about to completely nod off, someone just _had_ to call.

Grover was crouched by the tent's entrance giving Percy a sour look. "No sleeping man," he said. "Mr. Brunner's teaching us how to wood chop."

Percy sat up and groaned. "Yeah, yeah," he conceded. "I'll be right out."

Grover waited for Percy until he got out, which took about five whole minutes. Outside, Percy saw his classmates seated in a circle around the area. Mr. Brunner was right at the center, with a giant block of wood and an axe. When he saw everyone had sat down, Mr. Brunner began to speak about "the art of the lumberjack."

It was a boring discussion, for the most part. The interesting part was when Mr. Brunner actually chopped the wood and let a few of them have a go. A lecture about building snow shelters immediately followed. He taught them basics like how to properly clear snow for the base, how to estimate the size, and how to maximize the available resources. Percy didn't really know any possible situation for using the knowledge in the future, but he listened anyway.

Later, their teacher announced that they were to engage in several winter games as a form of "exercise." They played three actual games in total: a relay race, a target throw and tug-of-war. They were enjoyable, to say the least.

For the relay race, they were split into three teams and were made to carry snowballs on metal spatulas that they were supposed to pass to the player across the line. Percy's team won. Nico's team came in close second. The other team lost _big time_.

The target throw was just a silly hit-the-soda-can-with-a-snowball game, but Percy had fun nonetheless. Annabeth was an expert aimer. Her eyes were like snipers getting ready to assassinate. She was always an expert strategist, Percy thought. Nico _also_ proved to be a completely adequate target-hitter. Out of the fifteen they were each made to strike, he hit ten. He couldn't beat Annabeth's perfect score, though.

It was boys versus girls during tug-of-war. Mr. Brunner was apparently a sucker for gender clashes. The girls were all for it. A lot of the boys, who seemed genuinely afraid to lose, were pretty against the idea. However, the game still commenced with the end result being quite a shocker, to the boys at least. The girls won. Percy was all laughs after this. Travis and Connor however, were being jerk wads. "We want a rematch!" they said. Annabeth, being the fearless woman that she is, gave them a lecturing about feminism and misogyny. Nico, her best friend, stayed quiet in the sideline.

After the whole conundrum with the games, everyone decided to build snowmen. They've been pretty much acting like children the whole day, so they all said "_why not_?" Not Percy, though. He just sat down on the ground watching everyone enjoying the time. He saw Grover's silly attempt at a snow dog. He watched the Stolls making snowman versions of themselves. He watched Rachel and her friends making a very realistic snow sculpture of Mr. Brunner with an axe.

Percy looked around. He looked from left to right. _Where's Nico?_ He wasn't with Annabeth who sat on a log while reading a pocketbook. He shifted his head from left to right again, but Nico really wasn't around. Percy stood up. He walked towards Nico's tent. It was wide open, and no one was in there. He decided to have a look through the trees.

"Please Ethan, just leave me alone okay? I really can't return your feelings. I'm sorry."

Percy heard those words from a short distance. Walking towards a large tree trunk, he noticed two figures a few feet away. It was Nico and Ethan. They looked like they were just about to finish a conversation. Percy hid behind the tree trunk, with his back against it.

"Why not?" he heard Ethan say.

"H-haven't I made it clear enough?" Nico said, ill at ease.

Eavesdropping was bad. Percy knew that, but he couldn't help himself.

"Is it because I came on too hard? I can change that, Nico. I can," Ethan insisted.

"Yes, you came on too hard, but that _isn't _it!" Nico exclaimed. "That's not _just_ it. It's… I just _can't_ love you – simple as that."

Percy heard a snort from Ethan. "You still love him, don't you?"

Nico fell quiet. Percy swallowed. He knew exactly what Ethan meant by that.

"I…" Nico was about to say something. "I d—"

"Nico!" Annabeth called. _Damn it,_ Percy thought. "It's almost campfire time!"

Percy heard footsteps. His heart started to beat rapidly. _Shit_, he thought. _Please don't let him see me._

Nico walked right past Percy, thankfully. Ethan was a little slower in walking away, but he didn't see Percy either.

Percy slowly crept back to the campgrounds when the coast was clear. Everyone was seated with their friends on their own logs. They were all talking, sharing jokes, and sharing stories. Mr. Daedalus and Ms. Circe were readying the firewood, and Mr. Brunner was making preparations for his special stew.

Before they knew it, afternoon switched to night. The preparing slowly turned to actual doing. Everyone was gathered around the rather large campfire while they drank broth from disposable bowls. Heat entered their bellies amidst the chilly atmosphere. Percy sat beside Grover, staying silent and pensive.

"I do" or "I don't"? What was Nico going to say? Did he still love Percy? Percy wanted to have a word with him now. Percy needed an assurance. He needed closure. If there was even the slightest chance that they could get back together, he wanted to know.

"Percy, Grover." Travis suddenly sat beside Percy, along with Connor of course. "You up for some late night fun?"

"That sounded dirty bro," Connor cut in.

Percy gave the Stolls a cynical look. "What do you mean?" he said.

"A ghost hunt," Travis answered.

Grover's eyes broadened. "A ghost hunt? You serious?"

"Totally," Travis said, shooting them a mischievous grin.

Percy and Grover glanced at each other, both of them giving the 'are these guys for real?' look to each other.

"Yes, my friends," Connor said. "We'll be _embarking_ on a ghost hunt."

"The plan's simple," Travis explained. "When everyone's asleep, we sneak to the woods with our flashlights."

"And that's where our hunt for the paranormal begins!" Connor matched his statement with an over-the-top hand gesture to the heavens.

Percy thought about it for a moment. _Maybe it'll be fun_, he mused. "Well," he said. He looked at Grover, and glanced back at the twins. He chuckled. "I guess it's fine."

"_What?_" Grover exclaimed. "Y-you seriously want to go on a _ghost hunt_? Doesn't that freak you out, dude?"

"Grover's just scared," Connor said.

"Yeah, he's a scaredy goat." Travis said.

Percy tittered. "_Scaredy goat_?"

"Ok, ok, _fine_. I'll go."

"Well that was easy," Connor laughed.

This was seriously about to turn into a mighty fun night.

* * *

><p>With excitement and dread mixed in his heart, Percy along with his three friends waited three hours before they were sure everyone was asleep in their respective tents. Travis and Connor were the ones to fetch Percy and Grover in their tent since they were responsible for making sure the coast was clear.<p>

Percy crawled out of the tent to see all the other tents zipped up and static. The moon still cast a faint light, so he could still discern his surroundings somewhat. He turned on his flashlight, casting a light on his own face. He noticed one tent was still open. He thought about whose tent that belonged to. He was interrupted, though, by Grover's nervous chatter.

"G-guys," Grover stammered. "Are…are we sure we're…we're doing this? Like…what if we don't even find anything? Do you even _believe _in ghosts? God, I think _I _do. C'mon guys, can't we just sleep? I'm tired. I am…. I really am."

"Stop being a wimp Grover," Travis said. "Plus, it's not the _finding_ that's fun, it's _thinking_ you've found something." He opened his flashlight to reveal his scary widened eyes.

"I…I still don't see the point," Grover said. The twins gave no sort of consideration for the reluctant boy. They skedaddled to the woods, with Percy and Grover right behind them.

Walking through the dark forest wasn't as scary as Percy thought it'd be. It was quiet, but his limbs never got skittish nor did his heart beat violently in fear. The twins were having fun, apparently. They kept on "seeing" ghosts on top of trees or behind shrubs. Grover was freaking out the whole time.

"Is that a lady in white I see?" Travis said.

"Or a man in a dark cloak?" Connor added.

"Shut the fuck up," Grover complained. Percy snickered.

An owl was hooting from a distance. The leaves rustled meekly. Twigs kept cracking under their shoes. Wings fluttered from unknown directions. Despite the devious combination, Percy still wasn't afraid. He felt disappointed. He wanted to get thrilled. He wanted to feel _strong_ emotion – something other than melancholy and desolation.

Their walking gradually became slower, due to the absence of a real horror movie moment. "So," Percy said, stopping his feet. "What now?"

The twins started flicking their lights on and off. "We wait for the devil to steal our souls," Connor joked.

Percy turned to look at the trees behind him. "Hmm," he began. "I think this place isn't as creepy as we thought it'd be."

"Sure it is," Travis said.

"Grover sure is scared," Connor said. "Right goat?"

"I…" Grover stepped on a twig. "Fuck, what _was_ that?"

"The twig of the devil," Travis remarked.

"Yup, that's it," Connor assented.

Percy continued observing his surroundings. He looked up, and squinted at the sight of the numerous stars spread across space. He closed his eyes. _I'll make a wish_. He tried thinking of one. He heard whispers from behind him, which he didn't bother to acknowledge. He perceived stomps on the ground that went from loud to faint.

"Aren't the stars awesome?" he said. He beamed. "Aren't they awesome guys?"

No one answered.

"Guys?"

Percy turned around.

_Fucking hell_.

"What the fuck guys? This isn't funny." The three other boys had run off. Percy walked forward. "Guys? Where are you? _C'mon_."

Percy found himself going in another direction. "Grover!" he yelled. "I expected this from the damn Stolls, but _you_?" He groaned. The branches seemed to get a little pricklier. He had to push them away lightly with his arms.

He sighed. Then, he looked around. _Shit_. _How do I get back?_ His sense of direction was failing him. Nothing around him looked familiar _at all_. "Travis! Connor!" he called. "Fucking hell, guys. If you wanted to get me scared, I think you've done it." No one answered.

He just kept walking and walking, while hoping to get to the camp by chance. The hooting of the owl got louder. He started stumbling because of the smallest things. Only to make things worse, his body was starting to get chillier. He kept a straight face the whole time, trying to seem composed even though no one was watching him. His mind however was going _shit, shit, shit_.

Who could he call out to? No one appeared to be there. He was, decidedly, going to kill his friends once he saw them again. "I'm gonna kill you!" he screamed. He stopped walking. Everything was in a knot. He didn't know where he was and he had no way of knowing.

Percy continued his walk while calling out random names. "Travis!" "Connor!" "Grover!" "Mom!" "Paul!" "Mr. Brunner!" "Annabeth!" "Rachel!"

_"Nico!_"

"Annabeth!_" _A familiar voice resonated from a distance.

Percy ceased all movement for a split second. He eventually started turning his head in several directions, trying to find out where the voice came from.

"_Annabeth!_" the voice called again.

Percy directed himself forward. _Was that…? Could it…? _His thoughts couldn't even finish a sentence. He continued trekking the woods, pushing away all the branches that got in his way. He almost tripped because of a rock, but he didn't let it divert him from his search.

_ Hello there_.

Percy turned off his flashlight, instinctively. He saw a crouched figure against a pine tree. Shivering hands were clasped to the sides of a pale head. Eyes were tightly shut, signaling a high amount of anxiety. Teeth were crunched on a cherry colored lower lip, showing a natural flustered inclination.

Percy grinned. This was undeniably Nico di Angelo.

"Hi," he managed.

Nico opened his eyes. "Anna—" His expression got even more anxious. If there were light, his deep blush would be deadly obvious. Percy, however, knew exactly what Nico looked like when he turned red as roses. No light was needed. The way his eyes would broaden, his cheeks would stiffen and his mouth would widen was implanted deep in Percy's memory.

"You lost?" Percy said, flippantly.

"No, no, no," Nico said, standing up. "No, no, no, no, no." He started fidgeting. "I was…" He turned around. "I was just going back." He began walking ahead, briskly and inflexibly.

"Nico, wait!" Percy walked hurriedly behind the other boy. _You're not running away from me_.

"W-w-why are you even h-here?" Nico stuttered. He kept walking without fail.

"I was on a ghost hunt with the guys, but…but they left me," Percy explained. He cleared his throat. "What about you?" he managed.

"I… Annabeth… She…she wanted to go exploring. Then…"

"She left you?" _God, did they plan this or something?_

Nico bobbed his head. He kept on walking to who-knows-where. Percy started to feel like all this walking was doing them no good. He wanted to grab Nico's hand and make him stop. However, the nature of their relationship prevented him from doing that.

He decided to just voice out his concern. "Nico, I don't think walking on and on is gonna do us any good."

"Then…then stay put," Nico replied, laughing nervously. "Don't need to go with me."

"_No way,_" Percy exclaimed.

Nico was panting. "Please, Percy. I'm not ready to be alone with you right now," he said.

"I don't think you have a choice."

The flustered boy continued marching forward. Percy noticed the trees gradually decreasing. He felt the air get a little chillier. Everything started to get the tiniest bit brighter.

They were approaching _that place_, Percy presumed. He felt a sudden hint of excitement enter his heart. A while ago, he wondered what the place would look like all star spangled and shadow veiled. He also wondered what it would be like to see the place with the person he loved.

Nico stopped once he realized all the trees had given way to a familiar expanse. Percy took slow strides towards the beautiful stretch of ice and moonlight.

"God," Percy said. "We managed to make it all the way here." His lips began to curve, forming a delighted expression. He looked up to the sky to see millions of stars twinkling and casting a majestic sight on his sea green eyes.

Beside Percy, the uneasy male sank to the ground. He curled his legs and buried his head in them along with his thin arms. Percy followed suit, except he didn't conceal his face. His head shifted from the sky to Nico. He let out a deep breath.

No one spoke a word for what seemed like an eternity. Percy marveled at his surroundings, and relished the presence of Nico, the guy who has successfully done every single thing fathomable to his full-sized heart. _We're over_, Percy thought. _But I won't accept it just yet_.

"_Percy_." Nico broke the silence. "I think I was a little too neurotic back there. I'm… I'm sorry." Percy faced him with thoughtful eyes and a tender smile embedded on his lips.

"S'okay," Percy said. "No one takes break ups easy. I know that." He turned back to look at the sky. They were quiet again. Percy opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. After a minute, he opened his mouth again, but words would come out. It took him twenty whole minutes to come up with speech.

"Grover's afraid of ghosts," he said, randomly.

"Yeah?" Nico replied, lifting his head.

Percy chuckled. "Uhuh. He was like, '_do you even believe in ghosts? God, I think I do.'_ Hilarious, you know. The twins started calling him a scaredy goat."

"A what?"

"A scaredy goat," Percy laughed. Nico mustered up a smile. Percy could see Nico's whole face now. He was doing this cliché thing people you love did in the moonlight. He was _sparkling_.

"We lost big time with the girls a while ago," Percy said, changing the topic.

"Y-yeah," Nico said. "Annabeth's like _strong_ and stuff."

"Hilariously strong," Percy said.

"Like an Amazon," Nico said.

"Like Wonder Woman."

"Like a _Grecian goddess_."

"She's like Athena." Percy laughed.

"Meh," Nico started. "I'm more of a Hades fan. Higher Mythomagic value."

"_God_," Percy cracked up. "Or…_gods_. I figured you'd like Hades. I think your dad kinda fits the role, don't you think? He's got those big scary eyes and scary white skin."

"I guess so," Nico replied. "And, well… I guess that…that makes me the son of Hades." Nico smiled. "Cool."

"Yeah, totally," Percy said. "And I'm the son of Poseidon. Literally." Nico looked at Percy bemusedly. Percy explained, "My real dad's name is Poseidon."

Nico's eyes widened. "_No shit_," he said. "You've…you've never told me that." He bit his lip. "_Gods_. That's…that's _rich_." Both of them started laughing. "Perseus and Poseidon?" Nico said, behind his loud giggles. "You both sound so…so…_flashy_."

They laughed some more. Percy started telling more stories. He gave a personal story about how his mom and dad decided to name him Perseus. His mom was apparently against it, but his dad was one hell of a swoon master, so Sally eventually submitted. Percy then told Nico about the time his father tried teaching him how to swim when he was five by throwing him into the pool. "God, I hated him," Percy commented. After which, he quickly switched to the topic of last Saturday. He told him about how Travis and Connor are complete opposites when it came to singing talent. He narrated all about the fifteen songs they played and the FIFA Soccer 12 match they had. Percy didn't recount what happened _after_ that.

Nico shared some stories himself. He told Percy about how his dad always brought these dead body parts and how he kept them in their fridge. "It's weirdly interesting," was what Nico said. He described all the creepy forensic work he had to do during the research project with his dad. On the subject of today, he gave a little anecdote on his little struggle with the tent. Percy already knew this, but he listened anyway.

Everything was so natural. _Maybe this is what we were missing_ was what Percy thought. The awkwardness, the uneasiness, and the silence – they were gone for almost one and a half hour. Percy wanted to scream, "I love you" the whole time, but proper judgment prevented him from doing so.

However, Percy just had to leave it to Nico to make things awkward again. Nico spoke: "Saw you with Rachel a while ago." Percy glanced back at him and arched his eyebrow. _What?_ Nico continued, "Y-you were holding…holding hands…. Th-That's good. I think y-you're…" Nico shifted his head to the right, turning away fully from Percy. "I think you're –"

"We're not together, Nico," Percy said, somewhat indignantly. "I don't know why you'd even think that."

There was a pause. "Oh," was all Nico could assemble.

Percy creased his eyebrows. "Three weeks won't change how I feel about you, you know," he said.

"Yeah," Nico said, his head turning to face the lake. "I know." He buried half of his face in his arms.

_What is he implying?_

Percy desperately wanted to get the easiness back. "I…" He tried thinking of something to share. _Aha_, he thought to himself, upon garnering that something.

"I've been getting weird phone calls lately," he said. "The same person called me twice. I answered the first time. He had this weird, deep voice – almost like he was faking or something."

Percy faced Nico. The Italian boy's features were incredibly tense. A blush was undeniably forming on his cheeks. "I…" he started.

It took some time for Percy to realize what Nico's reaction implied. He started to look puzzled. "Nico," he said. "W-was that _you_?"

Nico completely buried his face behind his arms. "I…" He still wouldn't blurt out anything clear.

"What about the guy who went to my house while I was out? Was that you _too_?" Percy's hands fell on the ground. He drew himself toward Nico. "_Was it?"_ he persisted.

Nico nodded profusely. "_Yes_," he said, finally.

"Why?" Percy said, bemused and bothered. "Why would… I thought… _Why_?"

"Because..." Nico's voice was muffed behind his arms.

"_Because?_"

The other boy began to talk speedily. "Because I missed you. I wanted to hear you. I wanted to see you. I wanted to apologize. That's it. _Nothing big_."

Percy creased his eyebrows. "_Nothing big_? Are you…are you joking?" Percy stared at the Nico, trying to get more of an explanation from him. "I thought you didn't want to be with me anymore? Weren't you the one who said you felt trapped? Weren't _you _the one who said…who said we're _doomed_? God, Nico. _What the fuck?_"

"I know," Nico said, revealing his flustered face. "_I'm sorry_."

"_You_ said all the _kissing_, all the _love_ wasn't enough."

"I'm sorry."

"_You _said you didn't want your world to revolve around _one person_."

"I'm sorry."

"You said you _loved_ me, but you _couldn't_."

"I…" Nico lifted himself off the ground. "I…" He bowed his head and clenched his fists. "I'm not saying we should get back together, Percy. I…I'm just saying I made a mistake. I…I know you probably never want to see my _fucking_ face again, and I understand that. I let my ego get the best of me. I…I _let_ myself get…get sucked into those _ideas_, which never really mattered." He turned his gaze to Percy, who saw Nico's tears running down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Percy." Nico started running – not into the forest, but to a father side of the clearing.

"_Nico_!" Percy stood up and bolted towards Nico. "Nico di Angelo. _Stop running_. _Stop_!"

Nico stopped but he didn't turn. This urged Percy to force Nico to pivot and go face to face with him. Nico had his eyes shut, and his teeth buried in his lower lip.

In a swift and urgent motion, Percy seized Nico's hands in his own. "Nico," he said. "Look me in the eye, Nico." Percy wanted to show Nico how vulnerable he looked. He was thick with feelings, now more than ever, and he wanted Nico to see that.

Nico shook his head. Percy insisted, "Open, Nico. _Open_." His composure was absent, but his yearning clearly wasn't. "Open your damn eyes, _Nico_."

And there they were: big, brown and perfect despite being tainted in red. They looked into Percy's sea green globes, which held an ardent amount of longing.

"I said those things because I wanted to make sure," Percy explained. "I wanted to make sure everything was real." He smiled gently. "Are you…are you willing to start over, Nico? Do you want to just forget any of this ever happened?"

Nico shook his head again. "_No_, Percy. You…you don't just forget about things like that." His breaths became laborious. "If we… I w-want to _move on_. I wanna _grow_. I don't want to forget."

"I could do that too," Percy said, warmly.

Nico shook his head once more. "Percy, if you feel like you're doing this out of plain compassion, then I suggest you _stop_."

Percy glared for second. He decided to take elevated measures to make his feelings come across.

Hands went to the side of Nico's cheeks. Percy pulled their foreheads together, followed by their noses. He stared into Nico's hazelnuts and flashed a playful smile.

Lips touched in a chaste and lingering manner. Percy started seeing stars, in addition to those that were already in the sky. He popped his tongue out and swept it in the soon to be swollen mouth of Nico di Angelo. He tasted sugary like always. Nico slung his arms around Percy's neck, giving in to fervency and warmth. _This here's right, _Percy thought, granting gentle kisses onto Nico's mouth.

Percy's hands slowly traveled down to Nico's waist. He pulled their bodies down into kneeling positions in preparation for the type of kiss that was about to come.

"You still doubt that I love you?" Percy said.

Nico's head wobbled. "I…I guess it's loud and clear now."

Percy grinned from ear to ear. Nico sat down in a more easy position, with Percy following suit. The happy brunet quickly leaned his way back into Nico's lips. He held up the Italian's chin, so as to avoid the boy's head from numbing.

"Sometimes," Percy said, mid-kiss. "I think you _like_ making me explode."

"I…" Nico managed, as Percy tongued him. "I'm sorry."

"Well," Percy continued, folding his lips playfully. "I think I like it when you do that, but I –" Percy did a slow, wide-mouthed kiss. "I suggest you avoid making me explode in the mad way." He smiled, inflicting another sloppy smooch on Nico's weary mouth.

Percy swirled his arms around Nico and held him tight. He kissed more feverishly, more hungrily. He felt Nico shiver. The winter was clearly affecting him. _I'll warm you up_, Percy thought. _I will_.

"I'm sorry about getting drunk," Nico said.

Percy regarded Nico with mischief. "You remember?" he said. Nico nodded. "I wasn't _that_ drunk," he said, holding back a smile.

Percy went straight back to brushing his lips against Nico. He mixed pure with wicked. He stirred up a liter of lust with another liter of caution. What bothered him after a while was noticing Nico starting to hold back. He sensed hesitation in his lips.

"Nico?" he said. "Something wrong?"

"_No_." Nico shook his head. "I just… I think it's mean for me to…to not… God, Percy. Okay. I… I never said this often enough when…when we were together before, so… Okay…" Nico lifted his head to Percy's left ear. "Percy…" he said, faintly. "_I love you_."

Percy beamed. He didn't say anything just yet. Nico rested his head on Percy shoulder. He breathed in, weakly so. "Say something," Nico pushed. "_Say something_, Percy."

Percy breathed in.

"I wanna fuck you right here, right now, Nico."

Nico punched Percy hard on the chest. Percy cracked up, clutching to his stomach. Nico held on to Percy, sharing his unyielding laughter. "You're a wack job, Perseus," he managed. Nico, with giggles still escaping his mouth, hauled his torso up to look at Percy in a sly, indelicate way. "But we can't do that here," he said.

"Pfft," Percy exclaimed.

"Do you _want_ to get snow everywhere?" Nico said, making Percy shrug and smile. "Look," Nico continued. "We can do _other _things."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "And by that you mean…?"

Nico leaned back in to Percy's ear. He whispered something. Percy felt himself heat up with every word. His cheeks flushed, and he found himself grabbing on to Nico's back.

"W-w-w-w-when did you get so _dirty_?"

Nico snickered. "Blame _yourself_," he said. Right after Nico said that, Percy pushed himself on the boy. The snow was cold under them, but they didn't seem to care at the moment. Percy was nothing but heat and desire, and knowing Nico felt the same just gave him even more heat and desire.

"I don't think breaking up again will ever be an option," Percy whispered, blowing hot air into Nico's ear.

Nico prowled his hands onto the back of Percy's jacket. He dug his nails into the garment. "Never again," he said. "Never." Percy smiled. He felt his heart warm up. He felt the stars lift them up into space. He kissed Nico, memorizing everything discernible under the pale moonlight. This, he assumed, was the best feeling in the world.

In hectic yet gentle movements, they engrossed each other in their tastes and touches. Both made sure that the other wasn't neglected. Hands sneaked into the inconceivable. Tongues swerved against the rapture of their pulsing ardencies. Percy felt himself erupt, and he didn't fail to guarantee Nico's subsequent eruption.

Percy slept soundly that night. His heart stayed at ease in his chest. He held Nico close to him over the chilly earth and under the contour of the sky. There was great sense of _rightness_ and honesty swimming in Percy's being. Nico's lean arm wrapping itself securely around the taller boy proved that their feelings were more than mutual.

The morning arrived after a dreamless, yet peaceful slumber. Percy's eyes slowly opened. Instantly, he caught sight of Nico's hoisted upper body. His head was tilted slightly to the sky. His hazelnut eyes shined with the glimmer of the morning sun. His cocaine skin shimmered like a gem. Soil and snow were smeared modestly on his cheeks. A smile was flashed across his face.

Percy saw the sky, he saw the trees, and he saw Nico. _Best in the world_, he thought. He sat up, letting out a fuzzy groan. "G'morning," he said. Nico returned his gaze, still wearing a honeyed beam.

"Good morning," Nico responded. He looked back up to the sky. "Everything's so beautiful today," he said. "Was…was it really this beautiful yesterday, Perce? I…I don't think it was."

"No, it _wasn't_ this beautiful yesterday," Percy said. He felt like he was about to blurt out the cheesiest thing ever. "Seeing this yesterday pales in comparison to seeing this with you."

Nico's head fell on Percy's shoulder. "Definitely," he said. Nature never looked this gorgeous. The world was doing this thing where it looks magnificent just because someone you loved was nearby. It was doing this thing where it takes your breath away and sucks in every feeling you've ever had except for genuine love and affection. The world was doing this wonderful, wonderful thing to Percy's heart where everything was Nico and nothing hurt.

Percy suddenly felt Nico jostle. He heard something, evidently. He stood up and turned back. Percy gazed up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey love birds."

Percy scrambled upon hearing the female voice. He turned around to see the whole class staring at them. He got on his feet. A grinning Annabeth was in front beside a heedful Mr. Brunner and a scoffing Rachel. Percy's attention was only on them for a second, though, because he noticed Nico was doing something he didn't expect.

Nico tugged to Percy's shirt, unafraid and unembarrassed by their togetherness.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Just follow us when you're ready," she said. She turned around and gestured the others to walk off. Mr. Brunner was weirdly obedient of Annabeth. Rachel lingered in the scene. She chuckled before treading back. Ethan was behind her, giving them an angry yet resigned expression. On another side, Percy noticed the twins holding their tongues out to him. Grover was mouthing, "I wasn't part of it, I swear." Percy smiled. "S'okay," he mouthed.

"Shall we go?" Percy said, facing the flustered-looking Nico.

The Italian boy inspected him. "I…" he began. "Yeah. Totally."

Percy shifted and grabbed Nico's face. He stared into the boy's eyes for a second before anyone said anything.

"I thought we were going," Nico said.

Percy beamed. "Yeah," he replied. "Let's go."

Not being true to his word, Percy leaned in to give Nico a giant kiss, sending an overload of emotions into his heart. This, he thought, was not something nature could impose. It was, in clear-cut and concise words, a product of their pure and tireless affection.

* * *

><p><strong>You guys are awesome for finishing this. Gods, I can't even – What are – I don't -. <strong>

**Last chapter to be posted _soon_. =)**

**~ LC.**

**P.S. Sunny Valley Preserve is an actual place, but I only made up what it looks like. :))**


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry this took longer than usual! Gods, I had _two _exams to take and _three _papers to write. The whole time I was like: _What about my fanfic?_ Hahaha.**

**Okay. Speech, speech, speech. **

**What can I say? I love you? You guys mean the world to me? If I could, I'd hug you all one by one? …Yup, that pretty much sums up my feelings. This fic has been a _joy_ to write. Every word I keyed in put a smile on my face, and every word of appreciation made that smile _broaden _(you know, just like how my Percy smiles). I'm uber emotional right now, like totally. I embarrass myself. **

**So, do I have fics coming up? Yup, I do. I have _five _plots in mind, and _two _of them have already been _partially_ written. I haven't gotten over my Percy/Nico obsession, so yeah, four out of five of those plots are Percy/Nico. The fifth one? Well, it's a _secret_. Two out of the five are AUs, while three are in the actual universes. Not all of them are chaptered. I want to try writing one-shots, you know. **

**Does this fic have a sequel? I don't know, honestly. I don't think so, but it's an option. I kinda have a plot idea in mind, but then…yeah, no. **

**Here it goes. The last chapter. The epilogue, actually. Won't be leaving a note in the end, so I guess this here's my _adieu _for now. Hope you've all enjoyed Skinny Love, and I hope this rather fluffy chapter satisfies you.**

***CRIES***

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><p><strong>Warning: <strong>This is slash. Boy x boy. If you don't like it, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a figment of my fcked up imagination. Also, I do not claim property over any of Rick Riordan's characters. I wouldn't dare.

**Pairing: **Percy Jackson/Nico di Angelo (PJaTO)

**Summary: **High School AU. Wherein Percy is weirdly fond of a certain awkward boy who's his girlfriend's best friend.

**Additional Note: **Some characters may be a little OOC. Sorry for random grammatical errors that are sure to appear!

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><p><strong>Skinny Love <strong>

**Chapter 13 [_fin_.]**

Nico's bedroom was Percy's new version of paradise. Olive green walls, a twin bed with black sheets, a metal shelf full of Mythomagic merchandise, a wooden shelf full of science fiction – yes, this was _all_ Nico's. The giant tombstone gray dresser intrigued Percy to bits. He wondered how Nico arranged his wardrobe. He also wondered what the _hell_ he was keeping in that locked chest at the foot of the bed.

The owner of the room currently straddling him, though, was a much better source of entertainment.

"I think you're being too loud, Nico," Percy said, his eyes gleaming with flippancy and his teeth crunching the bottom of his lip. "Bianca's home you know."

"_Shut up_."

It was Nico that suggested that they go to his place once they got back to New York. They sat beside each other during the bus ride, and Percy was all "_I'm so freakin' stoked_" the whole time. He _has_ been to the di Angelo apartment before, but out of all the rooms, he has _not _been to Nico's. He's never really had the right opportunity. Today, decidedly, was going to be a day made of _dreams_.

The bed was where they immediately head off to the minute they arrived. Percy found the mattress to be a bit hard. Nico scowled at this and said, "It's correctional. For good posture, you know." This, however, was _not_ going to get in the way of their _hot_ alone time.

"I think we've had enough," Nico said, collapsing beside Percy. "I can't… I'm sore. I'm worn out."

"Fine by me," Percy said, rolling over to kiss his tense lover. The brunet felt all warm and light inside. "But you know," he continued. "I think that's a bit of a violation of the whole make-up sex code." He started coughing out bits of laughter, and so did Nico.

"But whatever," Percy said. He leaned in to smother Nico one more time. Flashing a boyish smile, Percy stared at Nico's facial features. He analyzed every nook and cranny to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything.

"Whaddya wanna do now?" Percy asked.

"I think I want to sleep."

"You think you want to or you will?"

"I will."

"No you won't." Percy began nipping Nico's neglected collarbone.

"You taste so good, Nic," Percy marveled. "How is that even possible? You haven't even taken a damn shower." He continued folding his lips onto Nico's neck. Nico glistened with sweat, and his collarbone was an obvious protrusion on his wet skin.

"You have weird taste," Nico responded.

"You're complaining?"

"Nah." Nico's eyes came to a full close. Percy let out a heavy sigh. "_Don't sleep_," he whined, lifting his head from Nico's neck. Nico made a fuzzy, unintelligible sound.

"Fine_,_ sleep all you want," Percy said, crossing his arms and pouting his lips. "I'm _leaving_." He sat up and pretended to fix himself. Providing the desired reaction, Nico took hold of Percy's arm. His lips were pursed while his eyes were still closed.

"Perce," he said. "If you let me sleep, I'll be ready to do –" He yawned. "To do _anything_ later." It took Nico half a second to descend into slumber.

Percy let out a puff of air. He stared at Nico fondly before resolving to do anything else. He stood up, put on his shirt and his boxers, and surveyed the room. He decided to do a little exploring.

He approached the cabinet. "Hmm." Percy pulled it open. "Oh… Wow." It wasn't at_ all_ what he expected. Nico's clothes weren't in neat piles. They were not color classified. They were not a testament to Nico's neurotic character. Rather, shorts intermingled with underwear, shirts were folded untidily, and the jeans weren't even folded at all. This guy, Percy thought, had _no_ right to lecture him on cleanliness. The rest of his room was neat, so it was really weird that his closet was an odd man out. _A new reason to tease him_, Percy mused.

Percy strode towards another corner of the room – to Nico's Mythomagic shelf, specifically. _Now this is totally neurotic,_ he thought. The cards, he saw, were in neat stacks enclosed in these transparent containers. He had a place for the monster cards, hero cards and minor god cards. The figurines were split into three groups: Primordial, Titan and Olympian. Percy noticed that adjacent to each figurine was an individual sticker with attack stats written on them. Nico had placed post-its on each spot where he planned to place ones he hadn't bought yet.

Percy shifted his head around the room. Upon further study, he fixed his eyes on the chest. He was set on his mission to memorize every single aspect of Nico's room – even if it involved a _tiny_ bit of privacy invasion.

He knelt in front of the chest, examining its features. It was pure black except for the golden keyhole. He tried yanking it open, but then he discovered it was too firmly bolted. He cursed under his breath. "Key… There should be a key," he whispered. Percy rose and approached Nico's bedside table.

Glancing at Nico's sleeping figure, Percy thought to himself: _Am I really going to do this? Will I really just go through his stuff without permission?_

Percy breathed in. He pondered on the question for a minute.

_Well…_

He came to a decision.

_Yeah, I am._

Percy rummaged the drawer. He found a notebook, a pencil, a watch, some tic-tacs, a bottle of Vaseline, and a peculiar black box. Percy took the box and studied it in his hand. He lifted the lid open and found a gold key inside. "That was easy," he told himself.

Nico groaned. "_Percy_?" He shifted through the bed. Percy ducked. "I'm right here, Nico," he said. "Not doing anything."

Percy heard Nico groan again. Then, he heard movement.

"If this is your definition of _not doing anything_, then I you've _got_ to take another English class."

Percy, who was in a crouching position on the floor, looked up to see Nico staring at him with intense eyes and a raised eyebrow. Percy smiled, teeth showing and good humor channeling.

Nico yawned. "If you want to know what's in the chest, you could've just asked me," he said. He held out a hand, propelling Percy to pass the box. "Sorry," Percy said, faking dejection. Nico only rolled his eyes.

Nico did a sleepy stretch. "You just _had_ to interrupt my sleep. How long has it been? Like ten minutes?" He yawned one more time before taking his boxers and his red shirt from under the sheets to put them on. Afterwards, he moved off the bed and drew himself to the chest.

"You can stop staring, Percy," he said, gesturing the taller boy to get close. "_C'mooon_," he whined. Percy obeyed. He could barely move due to intense beguilement for Nico's sudden openness and amiability. It was like the boy's sleepiness was doing weird things to his mind.

Percy sat beside Nico, staring while the other boy unlatched the lock. "There," he said, sternly. "Have a look."

The chest, apparently, was Nico's trove of childhood memories. Percy took the first thing that caught his eyes – a picture of Nico and Annabeth in a large green frame. They looked like they were around nine or ten. Annabeth's hair was in pigtails. She was wearing this yellow dress that looked way too bright with her blonde hair. Nico wore a cute plaid button-down shirt and dark brown khakis. They were holding hands, and Nico looked severely uncomfortable. Annabeth, meanwhile, had a giant smile on her face.

"_That_ was when I took Annabeth to a dance," Nico explained "I don't remember what it was for… Christmas? End of the year? No idea." Percy beamed like an enamored idiot.

"_This is so cute_," he said, in the least manly way possible – not that he cared.

Nico chuckled. "You're so gay," he said, shaking his head. Percy cracked up, his head tilting back. "Look who's talking," he said, behind his laughter.

"Is that all you wanted to see?" Nico snapped, looking at Percy with an eyebrow arched.

"No, no, no." Percy gazed back at the chest. "Hmm." He took out what looked like a photo album. "May I?" he asked. Nico pursed his lips. "Whatever," he replied.

Little baby Nico was a bundle of adorable. The first picture was of him at age two or three, from the looks of it. He was wearing this black cloak. He also had this mischievous smile on his face.

"Could you smile for me?" Percy said. In response, Nico did a heavily contrived, heavily sarcastic smile and subsequently rolled his eyes. "I think your smile hasn't changed," Percy continued, releasing a light laugh.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Nico commented.

"What was this for?" Percy asked.

"Halloween," Nico answered, matter-of-factly.

"Your mom's beautiful," Percy said, checking the next photo. It was almost the same as the first one, except that Nico was beside his late mother.

"Yeah," Nico replied. Two months ago, he had already told Percy about his whole family situation. With this in mind, Percy flashed a thoughtful smile. Nico bowed his head and bit his lip.

Percy skimmed through the next photos. The images ranged from Nico at five trying to swim, Nico at seven beside Bianca in an airplane, Nico at eight playing medieval dress up with Annabeth (he looked dashing as a prince), Nico at nine buying his first deck of Mythomagic cards, and Nico at ten reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Those and much more were, decidedly, the cutest things Percy ever laid eyes on.

"Is this even real?" Percy said, in sheer disbelief of the awesomeness of the photo album. "Can I keep this, Nick? Can I, _please_?"

"No way," Nico responded. Percy pulled a petulant face. "Let's not go down that road," Nico added, seeing Percy's expression.

Percy chuckled. "Well," he said. "Is there anything here I _can_ bring home?"

The rest of the chest's contents proved to be effective causes for Percy's rise in enthusiasm. He found an old Hercules tape. Nico said it was the first movie he ever loved, despite discovering its many inaccuracies. Under the tape, was a disk set of the first three Star Wars films. "You don't have a light saber, do you?" was what Percy asked. Nico replied with a playful, "Not yet."

A small black dog plushy was squeezed between the items. Percy took it. "You have a name for this?" he asked Nico, who chuckled once he heard the question.

"Mrs. O'Leary," Nico said, a smile forming on his cheeks.

"Why Mrs. O'Leary?" Percy asked, predictably amused by Nico's behavior.

"Because…because we used to have a dog…her name was Mrs. Leary, and like I bought that after she died." Percy wanted hug Nico when he said that. What stopped him was shock from Nico's next statement. "Plus… the name…it's…it's _cute_." Nico bit his lip, muttering something while appearing to stifle a laugh. Percy, on the other hand, made no attempt at suppression.

"_You_ think something's _cute_?" Percy's eyes widened and his mouth guffawed.

"Uh no," Nico said, dryly.

Percy raised his eyebrow. "Yeah, _sure_," he said.

Looking back at the chest, Percy noticed that under all the things he already put out was a gray box. It was about one-fourth the width of the chest. "What's in there?" Percy asked. He looked at Nico whose eyebrows furrowed. "That's… Umm…" His eyes suddenly widened. "Oh shit." His hands abruptly went to the lid of the chest and slammed it shut.

_What just happened?_

"You know, closing the thing isn't gonna stop me from finding out." Upon hearing this, Nico took both of Percy's hands. "Let's just leave it," he said. "Let's go back to bed." He flashed a smile. Percy perceived how manufactured the smile was.

"Tell me what's in there," Percy pushed.

Nico shook his head. "It's not important," he said.

Percy scrunched his features. His lips pursed and his eyes squinted. "I'm gonna find out what's in there, Nico."

"H-how'll you do _that_?" Nico said, with anxious laughter.

Percy shrugged. "Still thinking." Actually, Percy already _had_ a plan, and he was about to set it into motion.

"Hey Nico," he said, cupping Nico's cheeks in his hands.

"W-what?"

Percy closed the distance between them. Nico's face held confusion and anxiety. Percy took the boy's lips, and smothered him with a sloppy lip lock. Then, Percy slowly nudged Nico down to the floor. Their legs tangled and Nico's body quivered. The Italian boy shut his eyes.

Keeping Nico preoccupied with the kiss, Percy moved his left hand to the chest's lid. He struggled a little to lift up, but he managed. The length of his arm proved to be a big help in reaching for the box. _There_. Percy hoisted his head from Nico and smiled.

Percy sat up. He took the box and put it in his armpit.

"Percy!" Nico yelled, lifting himself from the floor. Percy stood up and gave Nico a wink.

The flustered boy stood up and grabbed Percy's arms. "Give it, you asshole," he fumed. "Percy!" The brunet hugged the box tightly against his chest. Nico's attempts at taking it proved to be futile.

"_Whatever_," Nico conceded. "You wanna see what's in it? _Fine_!" His face was red, and his eyes were deathly. "Don't expect _me_ to care," he continued, getting on the bed and sitting against the wall with his knees bent to his chest.

Being the softy that he is, Percy felt regret enter his heart. He set the box on the mattress. "You're mad?" he said. "I just…" He sat cross-legged in front of Nico, who turned away his gaze. "I just wanted to have some fun, you know. I wanted to get to know you better."

"I'm not mad," Nico said. "If you really wanna check what's inside, just _go_. I don't care." His tone signaled the opposite of what he said.

"Don't be mad, Nico," Percy said, sounding hurt. "God, Nico. I'm sorry. I won't open it anymore. I promise. I get it now. It's private. I don't need to see it anymore."

Nico turned his head stiffly. He reached for the box. "I _said_ –" He hauled it in Percy's face. "Just _look_. And don't act like you don't care anymore, 'cos I know you do."

Percy hesitated. He took the box from Nico's hands. "Are you sure?" he said. Nico nodded.

A brick red sketchpad was revealed upon unlatching the box's lid. Percy glanced at Nico, whose reddening face was turned away. "Is this what I think it is?" Percy asked.

"Ch-check for yourself."

Percy set the box back down, and took out the sketchpad. He stared at it for a bit. He held the cardboard cover – just held it. He examined its smoothness. He flicked the edges. One finger did a circling motion at the center.

"You know what," he said. "You're uncomfortable. And I don't even know if I can keep breathing once I see what's in 'ere." Nico turned to him with puffed cheeks and fumed eyes. "I said I don't care, Percy."

"Well I do," Percy pressed. He put the pad back in the box and slammed the thing shut. "Let's leave it."

Nico's face gradually became more composed. "You sure?" he said.

"Yup," Percy replied, shrugging. "Look, if you don't want me to see your porn stash, I'm fine with it."

Nico deadpanned. "Fuck off, Jackson." He took the blanket and covered his whole body with it.

Percy's beam reappeared. "Yup. I'll fuck off alright." He lifted the mantle and joined Nico under it.

"Ew. No. _Stop_," NIco said, as Percy began his sleazy assault. They both laughed under the sheets. They shook, they giggled, they took their shirts off. "I think we're about to get a little frisky," Percy said, planting kisses on Nico's cheeks. Nico snickered, placing his hands on Percy's cheeks. "Just promise you'll let me sleep afterwards," he said, giving Percy a happy smooch.

Percy grinned. Nico started tonguing him, not even sparing a chance to reply to what was said. Percy just thought to himself, hoping the other boy had some sort of telepathic ability.

_I give no assurances, Nico di Angelo._

* * *

><p>For the next few days, Annabeth, Rachel, Grover, Travis and Connor were bundled up in annoyance due to Percy's constant fluffiness and Nico's unwavering coyness. The two were practically married – except for the marriage part.<p>

"_Get a room_," Grover would complain.

"This is _not _what I wanted to happen," Annabeth grumbled.

"Forgive me if I avoid you two for the next few lifetimes," Rachel noted.

"Bro, could you get me a barf bag?" Travis said.

"Yeah, sure. Totally. I'll use it first, though," Connor assented.

Percy couldn't care less about what they had to say. He was also very indifferent to a certain admirer that stared with vindictive eyes whenever he would pass by with Nico. The fact that people at every corner were flashing weird looks never fazed Percy either. If anyone bashed them, Percy would just have to hone his ass-kicking skills. "Everyone loves you," Annabeth had said, however. "No one would dare bash you, Percy."

Nico, surprisingly, was not fazed either. He was still stiff and awkward, nonetheless – but not _fazed_. He was, in his Rachel's words, "being a cryptic tease" – whatever _that_ was supposed to mean. Wherever he was, Percy was there too. His blushes were somewhat controlled, while his tolerance for proximity heightened in such a way that it didn't seem like mere _tolerance_ anymore. He was fine with seat sharing, handholding, and occasional hugging. However, what he never allowed when inside school premises were kisses on any part of the body – cheeks, lips or _anywhere else_. That was a giant no, no.

Percy maximized everything permitted. Handholding in the halls? Check. Knee rubbing at lunchtime? Check. Hugging at every opportunity available? Yes, give that a check as well. Nico's openness to the maximization urged Percy to just carry on with his ways – to their friends' chagrin, sorry to say.

"I think –" Percy began, during Wednesday's fluffy love session, which in layman's terms, was just lunchtime. "This arrangement rocks socks." He said this pertaining to the fact that Grover and the Stolls were tagging along with him, Nico and Annabeth. Percy wanted this every single day, since this way, he could be with Nico _and_ all his friends at the same time.

"Yeah," Annabeth agreed. "Guys, I think you should eat with us everyday. I can't be alone with these two. Three days in, and I wanna kill myself."

"Yes, yes," Grover said, eyeing Percy and Nico. "I get it."

"So…this is gonna be a permanent thing?" Connor said.

"We're gonna be hanging around _these_ two? Really? Do he have to?" Travis whinged.

Annabeth, who sat beside the latter Stoll, slapped him in the arm. "Yes, you do," she said.

The twins had no choice but to succumb. Nico was quiet the whole time, while his head shifted on Percy shoulder –from forehead on shoulder to cheek on shoulder. "Nico's being weird," Grover said. Nico snorted, followed by an evil grin.

"Let him be weird," Percy said, hooking an arm around Nico's shoulders.

Nico nudged against Percy, folding his lips as if to control a lingering urge. He laid his hand on Percy's, and his fingers slid one by one inside the gaps of Percy's digits. Nico's other hand clutched his own gray jeans. He shut his eyes, and Percy could hear him breathe in. His forehead decided to stay stagnant on Percy's shoulder, after few more slow rubs from forehead to cheeks.

"I wanna go home," Nico said, letting out a sigh.

"You and me both," Percy replied, turning his head to the other boy. He closed in on Nico's bushy hair and buried his nose within it. "Mom and Paul are gonna be away this weekend y' know," he added. Nico grinned.

Their four friends shared glances. They were obviously sick and tired of Percy and Nico's synchronized thought processes. But what could they do? Three weeks apart had done _a lot_ to Percy's system, and, evidently, it had also done a lot to Nico's. Percy was stirred up. His heart was full. His thoughts were oceanic. Despite the cool weather, he was always warm. Nico flushed, he huffed, and he stiffened, followed by eventual easing via Percy's warm hands.

* * *

><p>Once Friday night arrived, Percy and Nico resolved to sit in Percy's living room to watch Hercules on Blu-ray. Nico wore this loose-fitting sweater with orange and black stripes. He slipped into a pair of gray sweatpants he brought along, allowing him to position himself as comfortably as possible on Percy's couch. Percy, on the other hand, put on a dark blue tank top that he topped with a cobalt blue and blizzard white NYU varsity jacket. He wore gym shorts despite the prospect of his legs getting cold due to the crisp temperature of the room. He sat with his feet on the ground with a bowl of buttered popcorn on his lap. Nico, meanwhile, stayed cross-legged, hooked under the taller boy's right arm.<p>

"I'm pretty sure Zeus wouldn't be this nice if he actually existed," Percy commented. He received laughs in response from the black-haired boy.

"And Hera," Percy added. "Hera wouldn't be like that." It was unclear whether he was talking about her niceness or the fact that she was _pink_. "She just _wouldn't_. I should know, I took a Greek myths class last year."

"Yes, yes," Nico said, waving his hand dismissively. "We all know how much of an _expert_ you are, Perce."

"Yeah," Percy continued. "They've totally got the whole Hercules story wrong. I mean, didn't _Hera_ try to kill him? _Gods_!"

Nico grinned, and let a small laugh escape him. He took a fistful of popcorn in his hands and popped the pieces one by one inside his mouth. They were already in the scene where Hercules was talking to this large-ass statue of Zeus, leading Percy to another rant about its inaccuracies. In a striking turn of events, Percy was the nettlesome pundit tonight, not Nico.

"Percy," Nico said. "You should know, you're not supposed to take this seriously." Percy made a _pfft _sound. "Life goes on," Nico added. "Watch the movie, get your money's worth." This boy was apparently in an optimistic mood.

"Sure," Percy shrugged, playfully so. He stared at the screen watching as Hercules did some rigorous animated training with Philoctetes the satyr. He unfastened his right arm from Nico's shoulders to get a drink from his Pepsi can on the edge of the table. His left hand, meanwhile, grabbed some popcorn from the bowl. Nico, Percy noticed, turned his cross-legged self to face him.

"You wanna talk?" Nico's voice was warm. Percy arched an eyebrow, a grin forming on his popcorn-gobbling mouth.

"What happened to just watching the movie?" Percy said.

Nico shrugged. "Let's finish it later," he said. Percy slumped back. "Sure," he replied. Nico took the remote with ease and casually hit the pause button.

"What'd you wanna talk about?" Percy inquired.

"Stuff," Nico said. "Let's…let's talk about _stuff_."

"You've got to be a _little_ more specific, Nicky. I am not familiar with these _stuff_ you speak of."

"Let's…let's talk about the break-up," Nico said. Percy furrowed his eyebrows. The other boy continued, "Let's talk about how we're gonna avoid anything like that from happening again."

"Why are you bringing this up?" Percy asked, warily.

"Because… It's been racking my brain, and we need to address this sooner or later, Percy." He paused. "We _need_ to."

"Okay, okay," Percy conceded. "So, what do you think needs to happen? Tell me."

"Well," Nico started. "I… Okay… So…"

"You know," Percy cut in, ready to scold. "Sometimes you really over think things." Nico's face registered slight shock. Percy pressed on, "You over think to the point that you don't even know what you're thinking 'bout anymore."

Nico crunched his teeth down to his lower lip. "True," he said. "So…" He sighed. "I guess I should stop over thinking."

"And I, " Percy said. "Should stop being too clingy. Am I right?"

"No," Nico replied, shaking his head. "You shouldn't." Puzzlement entered Percy's face.

"Then what _should_ I do?" Percy said.

"Nothing, I guess," Nico said. "Yeah… I think I'm the only one who needs change."

Percy scrunched his face. "Pfft," he exclaimed. "You're flattering me, darling."

Nico scowled. "Okay. There's one thing you have to change. Stop treating me like I'm your lady love. I am _not_."

"Told you something had to change," Percy said, chuckling. Nico deadpanned, followed by a puff of air. Percy let out his own puff of air. Nico gradually allowed his head to fall on Percy's shoulder. Percy felt him breathe in and breathe out.

"Anything else you wanna talk about?" Percy asked, after a few moments of silence.

"I…" Nico began, still with his head nestled on Percy's shoulder. "I wanna talk about… Let's… You… You tell me story, Percy. About you. I wanna learn more. Please?"

Percy smiled, turning his head to face Nico's messy black hair. "Sure," he said.

"Once upon a time," Percy started, receiving a tiny laugh from Nico. "There was a guy who knew this other guy." He paused to take a breather. He continued, "Incidentally, the other guy was the first guy's girlfriend's best friend."

Percy sensed this was about to get really wordy. "So the thing is, first guy had these weird feelings for other guy. Well, who could blame him? Other guy was interesting, he was fun, he was, well, awkward – like unable to function in social situations awkward…like, can't even buy a box of nuggets from McDonalds without fidgeting awkward. But, that made him _cool_. That made him _cute_. First guy was really confused. Really, really, really confused. He didn't know what to make of it. Plus, other guy started acting weirdly."

Inhale, exhale. "First guy had this funny theory about the weird behavior. It wasn't something he was keen on mentioning." Percy paused again. He turned to Nico, who didn't stir. "Well… So… First guy, at first, thought his feelings for other guy were like…bro-love."

"But then…after some serious thought, serious encounters, a serious break-up, and serious talks with not-so-helpful friends, he realized…"

Nico lifted his head. Percy faced him, a warm smile framed on his cheeks. Nico's eyes were wary, his mouth was half-open and bit by bit, his cheeks started to flush.

"He realized it wasn't just _bro-love_. It was something else."

Percy stopped there. "I guess you know what comes next?" he said.

Nico bowed his head. "Best story ever," he announced, placing his left hand on his chest. "T-tell it again? Please? I don't…" He hoisted his head, revealing his rosy cheeks. His hands trembled on his chest. He wrinkled his shirt. His right hand dug its nails on the sofa. "I don't think I've ever been happier."

And so, Percy retold the story. And Nico listened. He was all ears. He continued listening even when Percy added silly quips and unnecessary details. He continued listening despite Percy's high-flown expressions, redundant adjectives, and poor sentence structure. He laughed, he nodded, he blushed, he leaned in.

Nico's hands grabbed on to Percy's shirt. He pushed himself forward, and pulled Percy towards him. The kiss Nico exacted on Percy's lips lingered. The soft yet ardent movement of the folds of Nico's shivering lips sent Percy a clear message. Nico was communicating his extreme joy.

Percy smiled behind their lip movements. He spoke, "You have—" Nico cut him off him with a fish kiss. "You have your own story?" Percy managed, collecting more lip brushes and tongue gestures.

Licking his lip and pulling away, Nico tilted his head slightly downwards – just enough to avoid Percy's eyes.

"Nico was a stupid boy," he began. "Super stupid. His brain was, like, behind by light years. Like, pre-Hellenic, pre-Sumerian, pre-dinosaur, pre-any time period. He was immature, tactless, and extremely idiotic. He loved this guy. He loved him a lot. The guy, unfortunately, was Nico's best friend's boyfriend. Hopeless. Everything was hopeless." Nico talked rapidly, without ease. "When Nico's best friend found out, she told him she'd break up with the guy. Nico thought it was ridiculous. Then…she _did_ break up with him, and…Nico felt like shit."

Percy's head was full of _W— I… Wha— Is…? Huh?_

"Things happened," Nico continued. "For some odd reason, the guy… He…he _loved_ Nico too. It was too much for Nico to handle."

"They ended up giving their hearts to each other," Nico said, clutching his stomach. "But Nico's heart was weak. It wanted to escape. It was _scared_. It hadn't been _that_ in love before. Never ever."

Nico lifted his head. His eyes were bright red. "So," he said. "Nico ended up breaking a heart. He ended up trampling something _amazing_. And now…" A tear flowed down his cheek. Nico rubbed his arm on his face.

"Now he can't forgive himself," he said. "And will never. Never ever."

Percy bowed his own head, trying to think of something apt to say. He opened and closed his mouth repetitively, words coming to him then leaving him immediately.

"_Say something_, Percy," Nico pushed. "Please?"

Percy shrugged. He lifted his head, and gazed at Nico's vulnerable face. "I guess…" he started to say. "Well…" He huffed. "Shit, Nico. I just fucking love you, okay? What more is there to say? And…stop over analyzing. I told you, right?"

With that, Percy closed the distance between them, and fashioned a wobbly, sloppy, fiery uproar on Nico's lips. The room was silent. The Samsung logo on the TV jumped from side to side, up and down, from corner to corner. Percy pushed Nico down, the pale boy heaving and stifling whimpers. Percy didn't know where his hands were heading. He didn't know if he was touching an arm, a leg, a hip, a stomach, a chest, a neck or a face.

"Forgive yourself, Nico," Percy whispered. With minutes going by, his kisses turned gentler and more subdued. Nico wrapped his hands around Percy's neck.

Can't stop, won't stop. Percy and Nico never left the couch that night. They never finished the movie. It was all good. They knew exactly what was going to happen, anyway. Hercules was going to get his happy ending. Prestige, exemplification and the girl - he'll get everything. Percy and Nico were content with what they had. They didn't need everything. Although, Percy _thought_ he had everything. His standard for perfection was skinny. All he needed was a certain cherry-colored mouth and the boy that came with it of course.

* * *

><p><em>Is it morning already?<em>

Percy rubbed his eyes. The sun didn't shine from the windows. The room was still dim. He wondered what the weather looked like. He stretched his arms, letting out a loud groan. He folded his toes and heaved his chest. "_God_," he exclaimed.

Letting himself roll to the left, Percy closed his eyes once more. He breathed in and out. His right arm, feeling nothing but the softness of the cushions, stayed rested on the couch. _Weird_. Percy's brows furrowed. _Wasn't there something beside me a while ago?_ He scrambled his hands through the couch. He turned to lie on his back, his eyes going wide open.

His torso went up and erect. He looked to his left and to his right. All he saw was the doorway, the houseplant and the cloudy weather through the windows.

"Nico!" he yelled out.

"Yup?" was the reply.

He jostled back, morphing to a stooped position. "Oh God," he said. He set his feet on the ground, almost losing balance. He stood up. Nico was leaning back on the kitchen counter, wearing his striped sweater, his gray sweatpants and an unassuming expression. He had a bowl in one hand, and a spoon with Rice Krispies in the other. He plopped the food into his mouth, and raised his right eyebrow.

"Something wrong?" Nico asked.

Percy's head wobbled. He walked towards Nico, nearly tripping on the coffee table. His legs were disordered. Left foot walked two steps while right walked one. Right knee bent while left knee stayed linear. Toes on the left shivered while toes on the right went stiff.

"Y-you eating cereal?" Percy managed.

"Obviously," Nico replied.

"Can you put that down for a second?" Percy said, now standing an awkward distance from Nico. His arms swayed on his sides. The garter on his boxer shorts slipped down just a bit.

"You know you aren't wearing a shirt, right?" Nico said, his pupils going up and down.

"Put that down," Percy insisted.

Taking heed of the order, Nico dropped the spoon into the bowl. However, Percy's arms, not in sync with common sense, flew around Nico in a swift, abrupt motion. The bowl dropped to the floor, making the quake of the porcelain ring in Percy's ears. Milk soaked their feet. Rice Krispies stuck to their toes.

"Hey!" Nico exclaimed. "What the fuck? The cereal!"

"Leave it," Percy said. His eyes fastened. His fingers curled, creasing the back of Nico's sweater.

The hum of the fridge filled the room. Milk continued trickling through their toes and under their feet. Percy stayed silent and unmoving.

"What's wrong with you all of a sudden?"

Percy didn't answer. He didn't want to. He panicked, and that wasn't something he wanted Nico to know.

Nico's hands settled themselves on Percy's abdomen. Percy felt nails burrow in his skin. Then, he felt a push.

"I'm not gonna leave, if that's what you're thinking."

Nico pushed Percy, making them go face to face. He puckered his lips and fixated on Percy's eyes. "Sometimes, _you're _the one who over thinks," he said. "But _God_, it doesn't really matter." He smiled. "Because… Well… Do I…do I need to tell you the reason?"

"Please do."

"Nah," Nico smiled. He flicked a finger under Percy's chin. Percy leaned in to press their foreheads together. He analyzed Nico's happy expression. No dimples, but still cute. Brown eyes, yet still bright. Dilated pupils, gorgeous. Mouth slightly opened, waiting to be attacked.

Nico licked his lips. "Percy," he said. "Our feet. I think we need to clean our feet." He tittered.

"Yeah, totally," Percy said, staring at the trail left by Nico's tongue.

Nico arched an eyebrow. He chuckled, and then, he closed in on Percy. Their lips were close, but they didn't touch. Percy felt the air in between their lips. It was cold and desolate. He felt every hair on his body go upright.

"Percy Jackson," whispered the cryptic tease. "Clean this shit up." He pushed Percy, releasing himself from the taller boy's hold. "I'm washing my feet." He smirked. Percy's mouth was wide open. The edges of his lips curved up. He sucked in all the available light into his eyes.

"You're an asshole, Nico," Percy said, as Nico walked towards the bathroom in that smug way he steps and strides.

"I'm _your _asshole," he chuckled.

_Well that sounded wrong_.

Percy grabbed a towel from the countertop. He squatted and picked up the bowl before proceeding to wipe the floor. From the bathroom, Percy could hear the sound of the shower turning on.

"You should act like this more often," Percy yelled. "You know, in public and stuff."

"Maybe," was all Nico said.

Percy finished up wiping the floor. He gathered the fallen cereal onto the now damp towel. He got on his feet to approach the garbage bin. He dropped all the cereal into it, rapidly so as not to waste time. He threw the towel into the sink, leaving it there with its mugginess. He grabbed a dry towel and wiped up his hands.

"You gonna be long there, Nico?" Percy asked, while he swabbed his fingers with the towel.

"I'm already out," Percy heard. He turned his head. "Oh," he said. After which, he did a double take.

"W—Nico?"

"Making the most of how brave I feel today," he said, with a blank expression.

Nico was in boxers. Just in boxers. Percy's boxers. The black pair, to be exact.

He took a seat on the couch. Percy did a limp walk towards him.

"What the hell is happening to you?" Percy said.

Nico shrugged. Percy slumped back on the couch. Their arms rubbed against each other.

"Morning sex?" Nico asked.

"Again, what is _wrong _with you?"

"So that's a no?"

"_Of course not_."

* * *

><p>They spent the weekend together, as expected.<p>

They finished the Hercules movie. Percy didn't go on ranting anymore. He just sat there with Nico (who got dressed, sadly), and watched as Hercules went from zero to hero. Percy (who also got dressed, by the way) gaped at how Nico's interest seemed to be glued to the screen. "You've watched this _how_ many times before?" Percy asked. It took a minute before Nico answered. "I don't even know," was what he said. "Why do you like this so much?" Percy asked. Nico huffed, "First of all, I like how they patterned it with Superman, Last Son of Krypton." He turned to Percy. "Did you even know that?" Percy shook his head. Nico continued, "Then, well, I guess… Well this was the first movie I ever loved, yeah? Childhood memories. Reminds me of a great time."

As the credits rolled, for some odd reason, Nico began kissing Percy. The Italian boy grabbed on to Percy's shirt collar and pulled him, giving Nico the illusion of height. He just kissed and kissed to no abandon.

Nico was being awfully nice the whole weekend. He paid for their meals. He let Percy choose the movies they watched, and the games they played. He shuffled their cards when they played UNO. His niceness, however, did not extend to helping Percy with the essay they had to write.

Everything baffled Percy. He wondered, he asked why, but he didn't _complain_.

Sally and Paul got home on Sunday Night. Nico greeted them at the door, while Percy was getting the table ready for dinner.

"Percy!" Sally shouted. Percy saw her marching into the dining area.

"W-what mom?" he asked.

"Nico has marks on his neck. _Marks on his neck_. _Hickeys_."

"I…" A blush formed on Percy's face. "I…" _What are words?_

"He's a kid! My God! Percy!"

"Sally!" Paul called. "Let the kid have his fun!" Percy heard Paul laugh, and he heard another laugh, presumably from Nico.

Sally turned around and walked. Percy saw Paul and Nico on the couch sharing a laugh. Sally sat beside Nico and fussed. She touched Nico's neck and said a _mouthful_ of things. Nico flushed. Percy felt shame sear through him.

_God, help me._

By the time Percy and Nico were off to bed, Sally had _somewhat_ calmed down. They just tried laughing it off. The couple lay side by side, facing the ceiling. Percy apologized a million times beforehand, and Nico waved his hand dismissively at the apologies. Sally was flustered during the whole dinner. This, decidedly, was not going to happen again. They were going to be _careful_.

Nico had a Rubik's cube in his hands – one that he found lying around in Percy's room. He fumbled with it to no avail. Percy watched him as he did. "I can't do this,' Nico said, still twisting and turning the squares. Percy offered to try, and Nico allowed him. However, he only managed to screw it up more. For some reason, the colors just wouldn't go side by side. "Yeah, can't do this either," he said. Nico laughed. He took the cube from Percy's hand and threw it on the ground.

"Let's not waste any more time," Nico said, clutching Percy's shirt. Percy leaned in and initiated their kiss. All their motions, all the folds, the flicks, the licks, the bites – they were expected. Everything was so familiar. However, the pleasure was still very much there. The tingle Percy felt in his spine continued to send him to shivers. The tongue that slid slowly into Percy's mouth persisted in its zeal and appetite. Nico's hands – his delicate yet powerful hands – slipping under Percy's shirt still added fuel to the fire.

Percy smiled into their kiss. Nico smiled as well.

"So this is how we're gonna end our days from now on?" Percy asked, pulling away. "You're okay with this?"

Nico arched an eyebrow. "W-what are…what are you implying?" he said, gaining back his stammer.

"I'm just asking: _Are you okay with this_?"

"Y-yes," was the plain answer.

Percy grinned from ear to ear. He took a fistful of Nico hair and pulled the Italian boy back in.

"I think we're doomed for each other," Percy said.

"Yes," Nico replied.

"But I'm okay with that."

"Yes."

"Till death do us part?"

"Shut the fuck up."

Percy humbly obeyed. He continued tucking his lips with Nico's. Their tongues swerved, leaving lines of drool in between their mouths. If he could do this forever, he would. This was the perfect arrangement. A mouth to smother, a bed to lie on, skin to touch, and a boy, an incredible boy, to love.

Yup, he could live with this. Seventeen-year-old Perseus Jackson, better known as Percy could live with this – all day, every day. There was no way he would ask this to stop. No way was he going to tell Nico to mellow down. No way _in hell_ was he going to ask for a break. That, Percy thought, would be absolute crazy talk.

**fin.**


End file.
